Chikan Senshi Sailormoon
by Mythril Moth
Summary: When a new enemy kills Sailor Moon, Saotome Ranma must take her place and stand with the Sailor Senshi against this powerful new threat while trying to keep his secret new life and his ordinary crazy life from colliding.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:**

This is an older story; I'm putting it here so it can reach a broader audience. Oh, uhh...anime-continuity Sailormoon, post-S, and I honestly don't know where in which continuity for Ranma, so let's just call it "general Ranma".

Some quick notes:

The overall setting for both series has been adjusted to a more contemporary setting, so the cast carry phones and such despite mobile phones not having been widely available at the original publication time of the source material. Additionally, I do tend to flavor my anime fanfiction with some Japanese usage as a personal style element. I understand this is not popular with a number of readers. If you feel the need to complain about it, complain into your armpit.

Lastly, for those who assume this website is the end-all and be-all of all fanfiction: No, this is not my first/only Ranma or Sailormoon fanfic. It's just the only one I've ever posted HERE. I've been writing in these fandoms for over 20 years.

Well, that's about all from me. Enjoy!

* * *

 **CHIKAN SENSHI SAILORMOON**

 _by Mythril Moth_

 **Chapter One**

 _"All I Wanted Was Okonomiyaki! Desperate Sailor Moon"_

Five girls emerged from a train station in Nerima-ku. Mizuno Ami, the shortest of the five, with a somewhat turquoise tint to her hair, spent a couple of minutes engrossed in her palmtop computer; at length, she pocketed it and began walking, the others falling in step behind her.

"I don't know what we'd do without you, Ami-chan," Tsukino Usagi, a girl with long golden hair tied in twin ponytails topped with small, round buns said.

"Learn to read a map, maybe?" suggested Hino Rei, her long, straight raven hair swaying in the light summer breeze.

"I hope this place is worth the trip," the tallest member of the group, Kino Makoto, said.

"I've heard lots of good things," the fifth member of the group, Aino Minako, a blue-eyed blond whose long hair was topped with a large red bow, said. "Juka-chan in class three can't stop talking about it!"

"Eeeeh?!" Usagi replied, eyes wide. "Wow, if it's Juka-chan, then this place must really be incredible!"

"Juka-chan? Who's that?" Rei asked.

"The only girl at our school who's more obsessed with food than Usagi," Makoto answered, grinning. "And she's right, if Jukarin's praising this place, it _must_ be amazing."

"I also heard the cook is really, really cute," Minako said with a grin.

Makoto grinned as well. "Nice, Minako-chan!"

"Three blocks this way, then we take a right and walk five more blocks," Ami told the others.

The five chatted lightly as they walked; three blocks from their destination, Usagi began whining about the heat.

"We're almost there, and I'm sure you can get something cold to drink," Rei said in a less than patient tone.

Soon enough, they reached a shop with a noren that proclaimed its name: "Okonomiyaki Ucchan". The bell over the entrance jingled merrily as they entered.

 _"Irasshai!"_ the cook, a slim, attractive brunette with long hair tied with a white ribbon, called from behind the grill. "Y'all are just in time, I just now opened up! There's plenty of seats up here at the counter, unless y'all want a table?"

"The counter's fine," Usagi said as she took a seat; the others lined up alongside her, two to either side.

The cook nodded. "I gotta get some stuff outta the fridge, but I'll be back right quick to take y'all's orders."

As the cook bustled off, the five girls exchanged glances.

"Well...she _is_ cute," Makoto said, a somewhat displeased note in her voice.

"I coulda sworn Juka-chan said a cute _boy_ ran this place," Minako said, frowning.

"Maybe he just isn't here yet?" Usagi offered.

The door opened again, and a petite, busty, and somewhat damp redhead trudged in, plopping down at the counter beside the other girls. "Yo, Ucchan!" she yelled.

The young cook immediately reappeared. "Ranchan!" She eyed the redhead and sighed. "I don't have a kettle on yet, but it'll only take a minute."

"Eh, don't bother. Just gimme three of th' usual." She paused, noticing the five customers with no plates in front of them, and blushed. "Guess you better take care o' these gals first."

"If you say so," 'Ucchan' shrugged. The girls placed their orders, and she quickly set to work cooking.

"You're a regular, I take it?" Makoto asked the redhead.

"You bet! Ucchan's my best friend, an' her cookin's th' best!" The cook beamed at this comment.

"We'd heard there was this cute guy who worked here too," Minako said.

"Huh? Nope, nobody here but Ucchan," the redhead said, confused. "Hey Ucchan, did you hire some help or somethin'?"

"They probably mean _me_ , ya dip," 'Ucchan' retorted playfully, flicking a bit of batter off her spatula at the redhead's nose. "I _do_ still get mistaken for a guy sometimes, ya know."

"Oh yeah. Heh."

Two of the five girls visibly deflated. "It's Haruka-san all over again," Makoto moaned. They perked up, however, when plates of steaming hot okonomiyaki were placed in front of them. A moment later, a large plate with three okonomiyaki was placed in front of the redhead.

 _"Itadakimasu!"_ all six patrons chorused before digging in.

"Wow, this really IS good!" Usagi said.

"Best okonomiyaki I've ever tasted," Makoto agreed.

The cook bowed. She then tilted her head. "Ain't seen you gals around before. Y'all don't go to Fuurinkan, do you?"

"No, we don't," Ami said. "We came here from Azabu-Juuban. Minako-chan heard about your shop, and we all decided to come together."

"Really? Y'all came all that far just ta visit my shop?" the cook said, eyes wide. "Wow, I'm flattered!"

"You're gettin' famous, Ucchan," the redhead said with a grin.

The five girls suddenly found fresh okonomiyaki on their plates, even though only Usagi had eaten more than half of her first serving. "Here y'all go, an extra portion, on me," the cook said.

"Wai! Arigatou!" Usagi cheered, digging in with enthusiasm. The others at at a more sedate, but still appreciative, pace.

"So, is it the food y'all came for, or the boy-watchin'?" the cook asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Both, but mostly the food," Minako replied. "Shame the other part of the trip is a bust, but this okonomiyaki is still worth coming all this way for."

"Well, be sure y'all tell your friends about it," the cook said. "I do pretty good business with the local crowd, but I always like gettin' more customers." She prepared another okonomiyaki for the redhead, who had already finished her first three. "So, who was it this time?" she asked. "Akane-chan? Your dad?"

"Some little turd on a bike," the shorter girl replied through a mouthful of food. "Wasn't bein' careful, dropped his water bottle. It broke an' sprayed all over me."

The cook clucked her tongue. "Poor Ranchan. Y'sure you don't want the kettle?"

"Nah, I'm thinkin' I might get some ice cream after this," the redhead replied.

The cook nodded in understanding; the five girls from Juuban shared a glance that said none of them had entirely understood that exchange.

After a moment, though, Usagi chimed in, "You know, ice cream does sound pretty good right about now."

"I could go for some ice cream," Minako added.

"Well, if anybody knows the best place for ice cream around here, it's Ranchan," the cook said.

"Mind if we tag along with you after we're done here?" Usagi asked the redhead.

"Sure," 'Ranchan' replied with a shrug.

Once the six girls had finished eating, the redhead, who finally introduced herself as Ranko, led the others to an ice cream shop a block and a half away from Ucchan's. They spent nearly an hour sitting at a table, making small talk as they gorged themselves on an array of parfaits, sundaes, and banana splits.

By the time they left the ice cream shop, it had gotten quite hot; the ground was positively baking beneath their feet, and the air was heavy with humidity. "Ugh, I'm not looking forward to the walk back to the train station," Rei complained.

"Yeah, it's hot enough to fry an egg in the concrete jungle," Minako said.

Ranko blinked at the blond and tilted her head. "What the what now?"

Rei groaned. Ami cast Minako an exasperated look. "Ignore her, Ranko-chan, she doesn't handle idioms well."

"Hoo-kay...well, it was fun meetin' you gals," Ranko said, waving. "I'd better get back home, though..."

The street exploded, throwing all six girls violently against the walls of surrounding shops.

Four magatama, each a different color and with a vaguely human face, all four roughly half the size of a man, erupted from the crater in the street. One was dark red and had a furiously angry expression, another was gold and bore a rather cheeky expression, the third was silver and wore a happy expression, and the fourth was yellow with a serene expression.

All four of them were raining destruction on the block, bobbing and bouncing in the air as they rampaged, and chattering away in a cacophony that sounded something like:

 _"MITAMAmitamaMiTaMaMITAMAmitamaMITAMAmItAmAmitamaMITAMAmItAmAMiTaMa!"_

"What th' **HELL?!** " the redhead cried, rolling to her feet and adopting a fighting stance.

The five girls from Juuban shared a significant glance, nodded to each other in unison, and scattered.

* * *

Saotome Ranma had seen many strange things in her short lifetime.

This was definitely one of them.

The strange, magatama-shaped creatures were running completely wild, lashing out with scorching blasts of fire, destructive bolts of lightning, sharp, bitter-cold shards of ice, and powerful bursts of wind that picked up mailboxes, cars, vending machines, and other stationary objects and hurled them all over the place.

Deciding the one shooting lightning needed to go first, Ranma charged down the street, leapt into the air at a sideways angle which allowed her to ricochet off the second story of a building, aimed herself like a cannon bolt at the flying freakshow, and drove it to the ground with a devastating kick. As soon as it ate pavement, she bounced off it, headed for the one spewing fire. An Amaguriken assault caught its attention; she drew it into a spiral and launched it into the sky with her Hiryuu Shoutenha.

Then she herself was flung into the air as the one using wind attacks caught her off-guard and threw her down the street; she slammed into the lightning-shooting magatama, which had just gotten up from the ground and was clearly not amused. It spun around in the air and zapped her; her pigtail stood on end and her hair frizzed out comically.

This gave the one she'd launched time to return to the fray, and although it was clearly winded from her attack, it was recovering rapidly, and now all four of them were circling her. She watched her four strange opponents warily, trying desperately to come up with a plan of attack that would get rid of these creatures before somebody really got hurt...

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Ranma stared in shock at the five girls which had just appeared in the middle of the street.

The outfits they wore could only be described as highly stylized sailor uniforms, each consisting of a form-fitting white leotard with an attached collar flap, embarrassingly short skirts, elbow-length white gloves, and bows at the chest and small of the back. They also each wore chokers and tiaras; two of them wore knee-high boots, two wore high-heeled shoes, and the tallest one wore ankle-high boots. The skirts and bows of each girl were different colors from one another.

 _*No freakin' way...could these girls be...?!_

The girl in the center, with the blue skirt, red bows and boots, and strangely familiar hairstyle, struck a series of poses as she glared at the floating monsters.

"Hot summer afternoons are for ice cream, the beach, and wearing bikinis to show off for cute boys, not for destroying the city! _Ai to seigi no, seira-fuku bishoujo senshi...Sailormoon! Tsuki ni kawatte, oshioki yo!_ "

"Holy _SHIT_ ," Ranma breathed. She'd heard of the 'Sailor Senshi', but believed them to be some silly urban legend; even with all the weird things she'd seen in her lifetime, the notion of a bunch of chicks in miniskirts fighting monsters using magic powers seemed a bit far-fetched.

And yet, here they were, right in front of her.

The monsters quickly forgot about her and swarmed toward the Sailor Senshi, orbiting each other and spewing out blasts of deadly magic. The Senshi leapt out of the path of their attacks, and returned fire with their own.

 **"BURNING MANDALA!"**

 **"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"**

 **"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"**

 **"CRESCENT BEAM!"**

 **"MOON TIARA ACTION!"**

Their attacks completely missed the flying menaces, who divebombed them. The Senshi shrieked as they ran around in a panic.

Ranma scowled, picked up a signpost which had been torn from the ground, and charged. Leaping high into the air, she swung her improvised weapon at the creature which was spewing fire, knocking it flat on its face. She pinpointed the Senshi with the blue hair, skirt, and bow—the one who had used a water-based attack—and shouted, "YOU! This one uses fire!"

The blue-haired Senshi seemed a bit startled, but recovered quickly; she nodded her understanding, and unleashed her attack on the angry red magatama. It let out a bellow of pain and lay motionless.

Ranma was already on the move again; she swatted the lightning-shooting monster into the side of a building. The red-skirted Senshi, quick to understand what was going on, unleashed her own attack, engulfing it in searing yellow flames before it could recover. It dropped to the ground, charred and smoldering.

The next magatama took longer to knock down, as by now the remaining two had realized what was happening, but with the monsters vastly outnumbered, the battle was now in favor of the Senshi and their newfound ally. Ranma clobbered the one that used ice attacks, and the green-skirted Senshi fried it with a powerful lightning attack. The remaining, wind-based monster backed against a wall, surrounded by six very irritated warriors. Before it could unleash an attack, it had been driven into the sidewalk by a powerful diving kick from Ranma, and the Senshi dogpiled it.

"Well, that about wraps that up," the tallest Senshi proclaimed, dusting off her gloved hands. She turned to Ranma and grinned. "Hey, thanks for the assist."

"I'm just surprised you gals are really real," Ranma replied. "You're pretty good. You all need some serious trainin', though."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" the orange-skirted Senshi asked archly, arms folded and eyebrows raised.

"Well, before I stepped in, those things kinda had you gals runnin' around like chickens," the redhead said. "You need t' learn how not t' get in a tight spot like that..."

"She does have a point," the blue-skirted Senshi said. "Even if she is a little rude about it," she added.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean t' be rude. It's just—"

"mi **TAMA.** "

Ranma and the Senshi whirled in shock; the yellow magatama had risen shakily into the air again. It began to spin serenely in place; a wave of dazzling light spread out over the other three, which all rose from where they had been defeated and flew unsteadily over to their cohort.

"Crap," Ranma muttered. "Looks like this ain't over yet..."

The four creatures gathered in a tight circle formation and began to spin rapidly in the air, forming a whirling blur of color. Their circle grew ever tighter, until they all came into direct contact in the center; a burst of blinding white light dazzled the six fighters.

When their vision cleared, they saw...

"Oh great, a gattai monster. I don't think we've ever fought one of those, have we?"

"I'm sure we have, but I can't really remember."

The four creatures had fused together, and were now one single, spinning disc with four faces. _**"MITAMA!"**_ the creature roared. Without warning, it launched a blindingly fast ball of white light at Sailor Moon, who had no time to evade; she caught the full brunt of the blast and was sent flying, her scream of pain trailing off.

 _ **"SAILOR MOON!"**_ the other Senshi cried in alarm.

 _"SURROUND IT!"_ Ranma yelled.

"But—"

"We don't got time t' worry about Sailor Moon! We gotta finish this thing off before it does that t' anyone else!"

The four remaining Senshi nodded grimly, realizing the truth of Ranma's words, and quietly moved into position around the monster, which seemed quite pleased with itself.

"You hurt Sailor Moon," the red-skirted Senshi said in a low, soft, dangerous hiss. "For that, Sailor Mars will NOT forgive you."

"There's no place in this world for monsters that delight in pain and destruction," the blue-skirted Senshi added. "In the name of Mercury, I'll force you to repent!"

"You're not getting away with hurting my friend!" the green-skirted Senshi roared. "In the name of Jupiter, I'll shove a lightning bolt right up your ass!"

"It's our duty to protect the world from evil monsters like you," the last of the four Senshi said. "In the name of Venus, we will NOT fail!"

 _"BISHOUJO SENSHI...SAILOR TEAM!"_

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Just kill it already. Sheesh."

The spinning gattai monster began to glow brightly; it was clearly gearing up for another assault...

 **"BURNING MANDALA!"**

 **"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"**

 **"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"**

 **"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"**

A glowing chain of golden hearts ensnared the monster, dragging it to the ground. A wave of freezing cold water broke over it; arcs of electricity popped, crackled, and buzzed all over its body. Lastly, rings of searing flame enveloped it; it cried out in agony.

Ranma cupped her hands and focused her ki. Her sapphire eyes blazed with determination.

 **"MOKO TAKABISHA!"**

The Senshi stared in outright disbelief as a blazing beam of pure energy erupted from the petite redhead's hands, slamming into the fused monster and driving it into the street with enough force to crater the pavement. When Ranma broke off her attack, the thing appeared to be quite dead; curls of smoke were rising from its charred, battered form.

"Whoa. What...what ARE you?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

"I'm th' best martial artist in th' world!" Ranma declared, thrusting her chest out.

"Are...are you actually human?" Mars asked.

"Could she be another Senshi? One we don't know about?" Mercury wondered.

"Yes, I'm human, no, I ain't no Sailor Senshi, an' like I said, I can do that 'cuz I'm th' best there is," Ranma replied.

 _ **"...TAMA!"**_

"The best there is" found herself knocked flat on her ass as the fused magatama, believed to be dead, abruptly rose from the crater in the street and bodily tackled her.

"It **STILL** isn't dead?!" Venus shrieked, gaping in shock.

"How much abuse can this thing TAKE?" Jupiter cried.

"Let's...find out..." a soft voice, barely audible, wheezed. Through the shimmering haze of afternoon heat, the Senshi and Ranma could see...

 **"SAILOR MOON!"**

Sailor Moon dragged herself wearily toward the rest of the group. She was bruised, scratched, and bleeding, and clutching at her left shoulder. Her face was set in a grimace of pain, and her fuku was ripped and torn. Still, her eyes blazed with determination and anger. A long, slender pink sceptre, topped with a heart-shaped jewel, appeared in her gloved hand.

"Oh shit," Jupiter muttered. She grabbed the dazed Ranma and leapt to a nearby rooftop; the other Senshi similarly jumped clear.

 _ **"MOON...SPIRAL...HEART...ATTACK!"**_

The fused creature had just risen into the air, wobbling badly, when the giant glowing pink heart slammed into it. _**"TAMAAAAAAAAA!"**_ it screamed as its body shattered. When the blinding pink flare faded, there was nothing left but a wisp of black smoke, which quickly dissipated.

Sailor Moon sank to her knees, dropping her sceptre.

 _"SAILOR MOON!"_ the other Senshi cried, jumping down and rushing toward their leader. Ranma leapt nimbly down and joined them, concerned for the wounded Senshi.

"I'm...alright," Sailor Moon hissed.

"That shoulder's dislocated," Ranma pronounced. "I know a doc that can fix ya right up."

"Thanks...for helping my friends out," Sailor Moon said. She was still gasping for breath.

"Usagi...don't talk," Sailor Mars said gently. "We need to get you out of here, you need to rest..."

Ranma blinked. _*Usagi...?!*_

"I'm okay, Rei...really..."

 _*Rei?! Then...*_ Ranma looked at the other three Senshi, and suddenly, as though a fog had been lifted, sharpness of detail fell into place. She realized, to her shock, that the Sailor Senshi she had just fought alongside were the same five girls she'd spent the afternoon eating ice cream with. Girls who had accepted her and treated her like a friend, something she'd had precious little of in her life recently...

Girls who only knew her as Ranko and who lived in another ward of Tokyo entirely, but those were minor details.

Sailor Mars motioned to the tallest Senshi. "Mako-chan, help me get her up, we need to—"

A cloud of blackness appeared directly behind Sailor Moon as she struggled to stand up. Motes of shadow drifted away from the cloud, which resolved into a humanoid form.

He wore a white uniform, over which he sported gleaming green armor that protected his body from shoulder to groin. A crimson silk scarf was wrapped around his neck. Short, messy white hair topped his head, bangs falling into his face, which was dark purple; his one visible eye was glowing an angry, hellish red.

Before anyone could react, he pulled a massive black sword out of thin air and impaled Sailor Moon. Then, without a word, he vanished as abruptly as he had appeared.

 _ **"NO!"**_ Sailor Mars screamed.

 _ **"USAGI!"**_ the others cried.

Sailor Moon stared down at the massive, bleeding wound in her abdomen, eyes wide in shock. Slowly, she toppled over, landing on her side, staring up, hands clutched to the gaping wound just beneath her breasts.

"We've gotta help her! She needs a doctor, right away!" Mars exclaimed.

"There isn't time," Mercury said, tears gathering in her eyes. "There...just isn't time..."

"I can get her to Tofuu-sensei, his place is just a couple blocks from here, maybe he can..." Ranma said. She crouched down and made to pick up the mortally wounded Senshi.

Sailor Moon took hold of her hand with one blood-stained glove. "Please...Ranko..." she coughed, spitting a glob of blood onto the pavement. With her other hand, she reached jerkily up to her own chest, and with what seemed to be the last of her strength, she tore loose the ornate brooch that rested there. She glowed softly for a moment; her torn, blood-stained fuku was replaced by the pink T-shirt with a cute white bunny on the front and white denim shorts she had been wearing earlier that day, when her only cares in the world had been okonomiyaki and ice cream. Trembling, eyes glazed and glassy, she placed the brooch in Ranma's hand. "Pro...tect..." she rasped.

Her hands slipped to the pavement; she had expended the last of her strength. She sagged, limply, to the ground. A last, gurgling breath rattled in her throat as the pool of blood on the street grew wider.

Grimly, Ranma reached out and gently closed Tsukino Usagi's eyes. "I promise," she whispered.

"I can't allow that," a soft voice said. The Senshi and Ranma whirled.

The man who had killed Sailor Moon had reappeared, and his malevolent gaze drilled into Ranma. "Hand over the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. Or die."

* * *

 _Ranma 1/2 is the intellectual property of Takahashi Rumiko. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is the intellectual property of Takeuchi Naoko. Shin Megami Tensei is the intellectual property of Atlus. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:**

D-flat.

* * *

 **CHIKAN SENSHI SAILORMOON**

 _by Mythril Moth_

 **Chapter Two**

 _"I Will Avenge Sailor Moon! Ranma's Unexpected Transformation!"_

"Hand over the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. Or die."

Ranma glared at the armored, purple-skinned man, eyes full of anger and hatred. "You killed a defenseless girl, you ugly bastard," she hissed.

"And what if I did?" he said dispassionately. "Don't make me repeat myself. And I warn you, my patience is wearing thin."

Ranma slipped the brooch Usagi had given her into her pants pocket, then launched herself at her foe with a fierce battle cry. The man seemed taken aback by her ferocity, and was forced to give ground as Ranma's speed overwhelmed him, but his deadly blade gave him a superior reach, and soon, Ranma was forced onto the defensive.

The Senshi were shaken out of their grief by the sounds of the heated battle. Determined and angry scowls marred their beautiful faces as they surrounded the duelling pair, trying to find an opening for a clear shot at the monster who had killed their friend and leader.

Ranma leapt over a strike which would have cleaved her in half, then kicked her opponent in the face with enough force to stagger him. He growled and swung his sword in a straight downward slash; a pressure wave slammed into Ranma, sending her flying.

 **"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"** Sailor Venus launched her attack; the chain wound itself around the murderer, pinning his arms to his sides. He began to struggle; it was plain to all present that he would not be bound for long.

 **"SUPREME THUNDER!"** Sailor Jupiter hammered Usagi's killer with massive jolts of lightning; the metal in Venus' chain amplified the power of the electric attack, and the swordsman's struggles weakened.

 **"SHABON SPRAY!"** Sailor Mercury blanketed the area with a thick, chilly fog, then used her visor to locate Ranma. "Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling beside the redhead.

Ranma pushed herself up off the ground. "Yeah, I'm good," she said. "Man, this bastard's tough."

"Ranko-chan," Mercury said seriously, "you absolutely must not allow this man to get that crystal."

"Wasn't plannin' on it," Ranma grunted.

"You don't understand," Mercury said. "The Maboroshi no Ginzuishou is the most powerful magical artifact in the entire world. If someone...like that...were to get their hands on it..."

"I getcha," Ranma said. "Maybe I should just give it to _WHOA!_ "

The murderer had just appeared from the fog, and had very nearly separated Ranma's head from her shoulders. The redhead had leapt clear just in time.

"You SHOULD just give it to **ME** ," the swordsman said.

 _"That. **Ain't.** Happenin'."_

"So be it, then. Know that there was no need for you to die. You are not even involved in this."

"The hell I ain't!" Ranma retorted. **"KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"**

The swordsman managed to block the redhead's flurry of punches with the flat of his blade, but was nevertheless pushed backwards. Jupiter, who had snuck up behind him, punched him in the back of the head with her full might. He staggered.

The opening was all Ranma needed. She drilled a powerful kick right into his abdomen; his armor buckled and he was sent flying.

 **"BURNING MANDALA!"** The last of the fog was dissipated by the heat of Sailor Mars' attack, which caught the defenseless enemy unawares; he screamed as he burst into flames.

The Sailor Senshi and Ranma gathered around the burning killer. "Let's finish this," Jupiter said grimly, cracking her knuckles.

"Usagi MUST be avenged," Mars said, violet eyes burning with fury and hatred.

"Wait," Mercury said. "We need to ask him some questions before...before we finish him."

"Mercury's right," Venus said. "We need to know who this bastard is and where he's from." She looked around at the others. "I mean, we ALL know how this works. This guy's just the first. I doubt he'll be the last."

"She's right," the murderer grunted, chuckling darkly. "Do what you will to me, but it will change nothing. Sailor Moon is dead. We have already won."

"An' who exactly are 'we', pal?" Ranma asked.

"That...is none of your concern. If you value your life, you will not involve yourself—"

 _ **"I'M ALREADY INVOLVED UP TA MY ASSHOLE!"**_ Ranma screamed. "See this blood all over me? This is Sailor Moon's blood! I...I couldn't...save her..."

"Nor can you save yourself," the killer rasped. His eyes flared; he raised his hands in front of him.

 _ **"Mamudoon."**_

A wave of darkness enveloped the five girls. They all collapsed to the ground...

* * *

 _"Ranma."_

Ranma opened her eyes; she shut them again quickly, as she was enveloped in blinding, painful white light. "Wha...?"

 _"It's alright. Open your eyes."_

Ranma did so, and found she could see easily. Before her, uninjured and clad in a beautiful, flowing white gown, was Usagi. She was smiling, and a brilliant golden crescent moon shone from her brow.

"...Usagi? ...am I dead? Is...is this the afterlife?"

 _"Not exactly. The one you knew as Tsukino Usagi—Sailor Moon—is gone, but...I am a fragment of her soul, preserved in the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. I am her past self, Princess Serenity."_

The angelic vision of Serenity cast her eyes down.

 _"I guess I'm all that's left of her now..."_

"I...I'm sorry. I tried..."

 _"There was nothing you could have done."_

Serenity pierced Ranma's gaze with her brilliant, crystal-blue eyes.

 _"Ranma. There is something important you must do. I'm sorry to ask this of you, but..."_

"Th' crystal. I gotta guard it, right?"

 _"That is correct, yes. But more than that...you must use it. I felt some of what this new enemy is when his dark power touched you. I was able to protect you and the other Senshi from death, but..."_

The Princess sighed.

 _"I'm trusting everything in you, Ranma. You must fight alongside my Senshi. However long this battle takes, you MUST fight alongside them. You must see this through to the end."_

"Hey, I ain't never backed down from a fight," Ranma said. "An' I got a score t' settle with this bastard, an' whoever else is mixed up in all this."

 _"Then you'll do whatever it takes to defeat this new enemy?"_

"Yeah, I will," Ranma replied. She blinked. "Hey, wait a sec. I never told you my name's really Ranma!"

Serenity smiled.

 _"You will awaken momentarily, Saotome Ranma. When you do, you must say these words..."_

* * *

The Sailor Senshi stirred, groaning, and sat up. They could see Usagi's killer standing over a prone, insensate Ranko...who was surrounded by a dome of pure, brilliant silver light. The Ginzuishou floated in the air in front of her, dazzling in its radiance.

"Ranko..." Mars said. "We have to help her..."

"The Ginzuishou...it's..." Mercury's visor appeared, and she began scanning the crystal's energy reaction.

Ranko's eyes snapped open.

 **"MOON..."**

The Senshi gasped. _"Uso...!"_ Venus hissed.

 **"SPIRIT..."**

The killer seemed taken aback. _"NO...!"_

 **"POWER..."**

"She can't...can she?" Mars wondered softly, a look of surprise mixed with sick dread on her face.

Ranko leapt to her feet, clutching the Ginzuishou tightly in one hand, and raised it above her head.

 **"MAKE... _UP!_ "**

A whirlwind of silver light exploded around the petite redhead as she rose into the air. Her clothing dissolved; as she spun gracefully in place, the familiar red, white, and blue seifuku of Sailor Moon enveloped her. The transformation ended with Ranko standing in a familiar pose, facing Usagi's killer with blazing sapphire eyes from beneath a glittery golden tiara. Aside from the lack of the fallen princess' signature hair ornaments, the only significant difference between her fuku and the original Sailor Moon's was the brooch upon her breast; it was now a yin-and-yang symbol cast in yellow and white gold.

"Ma...masaka...!" the swordsman gasped, backing away from the redhead.

"You may'a' killed Sailor Moon, but you ain't won th' battle," Ranko said in a dangerous tone. " _ **I'm**_ Sailor Moon now. In the name of Princess Serenity... _I'm gonna_ _ **kill you**_."

The other Senshi sank to their knees in disbelief.

"A...a new...Sailor Moon?" Venus asked.

"How...? How's this possible?" Mars wondered.

"The Ginzuishou must have...must have given her the power..." Mercury said.

" _YO! SENSHI!_ A little backup here?" Sailor Moon called.

The four Senshi scrambled to their feet and formed up behind the new Sailor Moon, who grinned savagely at the killer.

For his part, the swordsman seemed to have regained his composure. "Hmph," he smirked. "I will kill as many Sailor Senshi as necessary, and I _will_ have that crystal!" He charged, sword readied for an impaling thrust.

Sailor Moon leapt high into the air, somersaulting so rapidly she was a blur, then dropped straight down on her opponent's head, one booted heel extended. Her kick drove him into the street with enough force to further crack the already-damaged pavement. He was immediately hammered by attacks from the other Senshi.

He withstood their combined assault and rose to his knees, bracing himself on his sword. "I tire of this," he spat. "Mamu—"

"You ain't doin' _THAT_ again!" Sailor Moon yelled. Her gloved fists blurred as she pummeled the swordsman in the face; he was sent flying toward Sailor Jupiter, who kicked him high into the air.

 **"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"** Sailor Venus called. Her chain wrapped around the airborne killer's leg; she jerked him violently downward, slamming him into the street once again.

Sailor Moon strode over to the fallen swordsman, picked up his sword, and rammed it through his torso. "That's for Usagi," she spat, before turning on her heel and marching briskly away.

The body of the defeated murderer dissolved into a shadowy mist, which quickly dissipated.

Sailor Moon approached the other Senshi, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "Umm...so yeah, uh, Princess Serenity kinda wants me t' take over for her," she said.

The others gaped at her. "What...? Princess...?" Venus asked.

"How's that possible? She's...gone..." Mars trailed off, looking at the ground, eyes filling with fresh tears.

"Um...I don't totally understand all this stuff, but I think there's a piece o' Usagi's soul stuck in that crystal," Ranko said. "She saved us all from that bastard's attack, then told me to take over for her, an' how t' trans...form..." She looked down at herself, and her face drained of color. "Ah, **SHIT.** _Wonderful._ How th' _HELL_ am I ever gonna live _THIS_ down?" She shook her head in disgust. "I swear, if anybody I know sees me like this..."

"Nobody will recognize you while you're transformed unless you change right in front of them, or tell them who you really are," Mercury said. "We've all had to save people close to us while we've been in Senshi form, and none of them ever knew who we were."

"Oh really? That's kinda cool. I guess that's why I didn't recognize you girls right at first, huh? It wasn't until Rei called Sailor Moon 'Usagi'..." She trailed off with a sigh. "I'm...real sorry about Usagi. I wish I coulda done more to save her..."

"You did all you could," Jupiter said, clapping the shorter girl on the shoulder. "And you agreed to take her place...that's a pretty big sacrifice. Are you...are you sure you want to...?"

"'Wanna' ain't got nothin' t' do with it," Ranko said firmly. "I gotta." She sighed. "But do these damn skirts gotta be so SHORT?"

Mars sniffled, and smiled at her. "We're glad to have you on our side, Ranko-chan. I'm sure...I'm sure you'll do Usagi proud."

"Hell yeah I will," Ranko grinned. "But one condition."

"What's that?" Venus asked warily.

"You girls all gotta come t' my place an' train. Every day. No excuses." She shook her head. "You're pitiful, an' whatever we're gonna be fightin', I got a feelin' it's gonna be worse than what we went through today. Startin' tomorrow, you're all my students."

The four Senshi glanced at one another nervously.

"Well...we _could_ use the training," Mercury said uncertainly.

"Hey, we _all_ saw how much ass Ranko kicked _BEFORE_ she transformed," Jupiter said. "I'm all for it."

"Me too," Venus agreed. "Besides, I haven't been getting nearly enough exercise lately."

"I'll do it," Mars agreed, nodding firmly. "I need to get stronger to avenge Usagi."

Ranko nodded approvingly. "Great. I'll give you th' address, and, um..." She looked down. "You guys gotta help _me_ learn, too. I gotta learn how all this Sailor stuff works."

"Of course," Venus said, nodding. "You can drop by the shrine tomorrow, we can introduce you to Luna and Artemis, we can tell you anything you wanna know."

"We need to have a meeting anyway," Mercury said. "Since there's a new enemy. We need to put our heads together and try to figure out what's going on here."

"Before any of that, there's...there's one thing we have to do," Mars said, turning to look down the street. The others followed her gaze, and looked sadly at the lifeless body of Tsukino Usagi.

"I...guess...we should call the police," Jupiter said softly.

"And...her family...they need to..." Mercury added.

"And...and Mamoru..." Venus added. She looked away, eyes wet with tears. "He'll be devastated. And..." Suddenly, her eyes widened in horror. "Chibiusa-chan...we'll...we'll never see her again, will we?"

Mars looked down, tears falling to the ground. "No...we won't."

Grimly, the five Senshi detransformed; Minako dug her phone out of her purse.

* * *

A prone form materialized in a dark, smoky realm. Grunting, he reached up and pulled the sword from his body, tossing it aside. Black blood spilled onto the obsidian floor.

 **"Pathetic,"** a cold voice snapped.

The swordsman knelt before a raised dais wreathed in thick, impenetrable shadows, bowing his head. "Lord Thanatos! I..."

"You failed to retrieve the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou."

"But...!"

"Are you about to offer me an excuse for your failure?" the voice asked coldly.

The swordsman's red eyes widened in fear. "N-no, my Lord!" he stammered.

"Good." The figure upon the dais was silent for a long moment. "You disappoint me, Orpheus. I expected better from you."

Orpheus cast his gaze to the floor again. "I...beg forgiveness, Lord Thanatos." He looked up again. "Please...! Give me another chance! I _will_ retrieve the crystal!"

"Hmmm..." Thanatos was silent for a long moment. Then, he stood and stepped down from the dais. He loomed over the kneeling swordsman, cold green eyes full of disdain. He raised a gloved hand and stroked the thick growth of scrubby golden beard on his chin. At length, he turned his back on Orpheus, clasping his hands behind his back. "Very well. Since you _did_ at least manage to kill that wretched brat Serenity, I suppose you deserve a second chance."

"Thank you, my Lord!"

"Do not fail me again, Orpheus."

Orpheus pressed a fist to his chest in salute, then melted into the shadows.

Thanatos was silent for a long moment after his departure. Then, he turned and looked into the smoky depths of the chamber. "Isis."

A pearlescent pink mirror floated serenely out of the haze. A pale, feminine face appeared in it. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Keep an eye on Orpheus. If he fails...kill him."

"As you wish, Lord Thanatos." The mirror disappeared once more into the haze.

"I _will_ see the end of the Sailor Senshi," Thanatos said to the empty room. "And then, the destruction of the foolish human race..."

* * *

 _Ranma 1/2 is the intellectual property of Takahashi Rumiko. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is the intellectual property of Takeuchi Naoko. Shin Megami Tensei is the intellectual property of Atlus. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged._


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:**

F-sharp.

* * *

 **CHIKAN SENSHI SAILORMOON**

 _by Mythril Moth_

 **Chapter Three**

 _"Mamoru's Grief! The Terror Of Talking Cats?"_

The Senshi stood protectively around the body of their fallen leader. Makoto tapped her foot impatiently. "Dammit...!" she growled. "It's been over half an hour! What the hell is wrong with the police around here?!"

Ranma shuffled her feet. "Uhh...yeah...this part'a town's kinda weird, an' with all th' crazy fights we have around here all th' time, there's some or another kinda big disaster damn near every other week, so...th' cops've just kinda given up on this place."

Rei grumbled. "You could've told us that earlier."

"Sorry."

"Don't snap at Ranko-chan," Minako admonished. "She's doing her best. This...I don't think any of us really know what to do right now."

Rei looked down and away. "Sorry."

"Hey, it's cool," Ranma said. "You just lost your best friend. I know how pissed you are. If somethin' like this happened t' Ucchan, or Ryouga, or Akane..." She shook her head. "If any one'a my friends had...this happen to 'em...I'd be tearin' shit up all over th' place."

As they continued to wait, Ranma pulled her own phone, sealed in a watertight aluminum case, out of her pocket. "Yo, Kasumi," she said once the party on the other end picked up, "I might not be back 'til after dark, if I'm back tonight at all. Some crazy stuff just happened, an'...just...tell everyone not t' worry about me, okay? I just gotta handle somethin'. Cool. Thanks. No, I'm alright. No, nothin' like that. Listen, I gotta go now. Later." With that, she disconnected the call and slipped her phone back into her pocket.

"Nice phone case," Minako said.

Ranma chuckled. "Y'see th' kinda fights I get inta all th' time. Keeps it from gettin' broke. Keeps it from gettin' wet, too. I'm kind of a water magnet."

A patrol car and an ambulance finally arrived at that moment. As paramedics raced over to the group, two uniformed officers emerged from the car. The younger of the two took one look at the body, paled, and ran to the other side of the car to throw up. The older officer stared at the scene, shaking his head grimly. Then, he noticed Ranma, and tensed. " **You**. Why am I not surprised."

"Hey, this ain't like th' usual crap that happens around here," Ranma said defensively.

The policeman looked around at the completely destroyed street, then raised an eyebrow pointedly.

Ranma winced. "Well, okay, yeah, it LOOKS like th' usual crap," she admitted. "But this girl was murdered."

"She's telling the truth, officer," Ami said, bowing. "We are friends of the girl who was killed. The five of us are from Azabu-Juuban, and were here on an outing. The destruction of the street was caused by something...strange," she hedged, "but our friend was murdered by a man with a sword."

The police officer frowned. "Could you describe him? And where did he go?"

"He was real freaky," Ranma said. "But he was wearin' a disguise, so no idea who he was. But I know it wasn't anybody from around here. He just came outta nowhere, ran her through right there in th' street."

The policeman frowned. "So you're saying this was a random murder, and had nothing to do with you?"

"Far as I know, yeah," Ranma said, arms folded.

The officer sighed. He walked over to the car, where his junior was just pulling himself together. "Call headquarters. Report this as a murder case."

"Hai!"

The older officer walked back over. "I'm afraid all of you need to wait here until a detective from Major Crimes arrives. You are not under suspicion, but the detective will need to ask you each questions."

"Can we...could we at least call her family, while we wait?" Minako asked. The officer nodded.

* * *

As the girls waited for the detective, the coroner, and the crime scene investigators to arrive, Minako, face pale with dread, made a series of phone calls.

"Ikuko-basan? It's Minako. Anou..." She faltered. "There's been...something happened to Usagi...I'm sorry. No...we need to tell you about it in person. Oh...we're in Nerima-ku right now. Gomen nasai...we have to stay put where we are until the police finish questioning..." Ikuko's wailing and screaming could be heard from the phone's tiny speaker. Minako winced. "We'll...see you as soon as we can..."

"Mamoru-san? It's Minako. ...hai. That's right. I'm sorry. No, don't blame yourself. There's no way you could've...you'd never have made it in time. We were in Nerima-ku when it happened. Look, I can't explain everything right now, but we'll...hai. Hai. See you there, then."

Minako sighed as she hung up, rubbing at her eyes, which were filling with tears again.

Ami looked at her. "He knew?"

"Of _course_ he knew," Minako replied. "He was already halfway across Shinjuku when...when she..."

"Right, he would've been, wouldn't he?" Ami replied. At Ranma's questioning gaze, Ami said, "We'll explain later." She glanced at the two policemen hovering nearby out of the corner of her eye. Ranma nodded.

"Are you gonna call Haruka-san and Michiru-san?" Makoto asked Minako. "They...they need to know too."

"Oh, right, I really should." Sighing, Minako placed another call. "Haruka-san? It's Minako. Listen...Usagi's dead. No, this isn't a joke. She...was murdered this afternoon. We're in Nerima-ku. We already called her family and Mamoru-san. I can't say much about it right now. Can you and Michiru-san meet up with us as soon as we get back to Juuban? Setsuna-san too, if she's around."

The look on her face told the others that Haruka had hung up on her rather abruptly.

"Think they'll show?" Makoto asked.

"I hope so," Minako sighed. "We may not be close, but at the very least they respected her..."

The detective arrived, and for the next hour, the five girls were questioned extensively about the murder of Tsukino Usagi. When it was done, they all boarded a train and headed for Azabu-Juuban. Absolutely nobody questioned Ranma's decision to join them.

Upon arrival, they were intercepted by several people. With little discussion, the entire group went to the park near Tokyo Tower and found a relatively quiet place to talk about what had happened.

Ranma felt like a fifth wheel as she hung back from the group. Tsukino Ikuko, a middle-aged but still attractive woman with wavy blue-black hair, was sobbing loudly. Behind her, her husband Kenji, a kind-faced salaryman with short hair, absently polished his square-rimmed glasses while be blinked back tears; he was clearly fighting not to break down. Usagi's little brother Shingo sat morosely on a bench beside his family, looking at the ground and saying nothing. Rei stood with Usagi's parents, attempting to console them while at the same time looking very much in need of consoling herself.

If Usagi's parents were in bad shape, the man sitting on the ground a few meters away from Ranma was utterly, completely broken. Ranma wasn't the most empathic or sympathetic person in the whole world, but even she could see that this guy looked as though his soul had been ripped out.

"Mamoru-san is... _was_ her boyfriend," Ami whispered quietly to Ranma.

Ranma blinked. "Ain't he a little..."

"Older than her? Yes. It's...a long story."

Ranma shrugged. "It don't bother me none. Besides, he looks like hell. He musta really loved her."

"More than life itself. He'd have died in her place, had he been there."

A bit farther away, two tall women, one with sandy blond hair and dressed in male clothes, the other an elegant, graceful beauty with wavy seafoam-green tresses, stood conversing in low tones with Minako and Makoto. Occasionally, one or more of the small group would cast a glance at Ranma; she pretended not to notice.

Ranma had quickly cottoned on to the fact that Usagi's parents had no clue she was Sailor Moon, and that the others didn't want that to be public knowledge; they had told Usagi's family, rather convincingly, the same story they had fed the police.

Rei suddenly walked over to Ranma and Ami. "Her family needs to be alone for a while, so they're going home." she said. "The rest of us are going to go back to my place for now. Mamoru-san's going to come too."

"Have you told him what really happened yet?"

Rei shook her head.

"What really...wait, y'mean he knows she was...?" Ranma asked.

"Hai," Rei replied. "I guess there's a lot we need to explain to _you_ while we're at it."

"Yeah, no kiddin'." Ranma shuffled her feet. "Okay, round everyone up an' let's get th' hell outta here. I don't think I can take much more o' watchin' her folks cry anyway."

Rei nodded. "It hurts like hell," she said in a hoarse whisper. "It's...better to do something more productive right now."

Ami glanced up sharply. "I just thought of something."

"What is it, Ami-chan?"

"Luna and Artemis...they don't know yet."

Rei winced. "Oh GOD. Luna's going to go completely berserk. She's known Usagi longer than any of us."

"Well, Minako-chan can pick Artemis up and bring him to the shrine, but what about Luna?"

Rei glanced at her watch. "Actually, I think Luna's usually running around right about now. Maybe we'll run into her. If not, I'm sure Artemis knows how to get in touch with her right away."

"This...Luna whoever...she don't got a phone?" Ranma asked.

Rei couldn't help but giggle. " _That_ would be an interesting sight," she said. At Ranma's puzzled expression, she added, "You'll understand when you meet her."

A very sober group boarded a bus bound for the stop near Hikawa Shrine. On the bus, Mamoru kept sneaking glances at Ranma; she wasn't sure if it was because she was unfamiliar, or because she was covered in Usagi's blood.

After what felt like entirely too long, the bus disgorged Ranma, Rei, Makoto, Ami, and Mamoru; Minako had gone with the two older girls to collect Artemis, and Rei assured Ranma that with the way Haruka drove, that group would be with them shortly.

Ranma whistled as he looked up at the torii. "So, you really live at a shrine?" he asked Rei.

"Hai. This shrine has been maintained by my family for generations. I'm training as a miko." She studied the petite redhead and frowned. "Would you like me to get you a change of clothes?

Ranma looked down at herself and grimaced. "Uhh...yeah. I think...that'd be a good idea."

"We'll wait out here while Ranko-chan gets changed," Makoto said. Rei nodded to her, and the two girls rushed up the steps to the shrine.

Once they were gone, Mamoru asked, "Who _is_ that girl?"

"Her name is Ranko. She hasn't given us her family name yet," Ami explained. "She was...involved in the incident earlier. It's better to wait until we're all inside to talk about it." She noticed the furrowing of Mamoru's brow, and added, "Ranko-chan did everything she could to help us today. She feels very bad about not being able to save Usagi-chan. Please don't be cold or hostile to her."

"I won't, but...what do you mean, she tried to save Usagi? A regular person got involved in...in a Senshi fight?"

Makoto chuckled. "If there's one thing Ranko-chan isn't, it's normal."

Ami's phone rang. She answered it, spoke briefly, and nodded. "Okay, Ranko-chan's changed. Let's go up."

* * *

As Makoto, Ami, and Mamoru entered the shrine, Rei was just hanging up the phone. She had changed clothes as well, having also gotten quite a bit of Usagi's blood on her. Ranma was already seated at the low table, now dressed in a spare set of miko raiments. The others seated themselves around the table.

"That was Minako-chan," Rei said. "They just picked up Artemis and Luna, and they're on the way."

"They found Luna that fast?" Makoto asked.

"She was with Artemis, it turns out," Rei said, an amused smile on her face. She shook her head. "I'll be back in a minute with tea."

As she left the room, Mamoru turned to face Ranma. "I'm told you fought to protect Usako."

"I tried," the redhead said uncomfortably. She looked away. "They told me you an' her were..." She trailed off. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her."

"It can't be helped," Mamoru said with a sigh. "Just the fact that you tried counts for a lot." He clenched his fists tightly, head bowed. "Dammit...if I'd only been able to make it there...!"

"They said you knew Usagi was in trouble," Ranma said. "How...?"

Mamoru smiled thinly. "I suppose, since it appears you already know quite a bit about us..." He withdrew a long-stemmed red rose from his pocket. He began to shimmer and blur; an instant later, his clothing had transformed into a black tuxedo with a long, red-lined opera cape. A white silk domino mask covered his eyes.

Ranma blinked. "Oh...kay..."

"Ranko-chan, Mamoru-san is Tuxedo Kamen. You have no idea who that is, do you?"

"Nuh-uh."

"I've been Usako's protector since before I knew who she was," Tuxedo Kamen said, reversing his transformation. "I have a deep connection with her...I've always been able to sense when she was in danger, and until today, I've never failed to protect her when she needed me. Until...today..." Mamoru bowed his head, silent tears spilling from his eyes. As Rei returned with a tray of tea and crackers, Mamoru looked up at her. In a hoarse whisper, he asked, "What happened, Rei?"

Rei sighed. "We were attacked," she said simply. "Some monster showed up, we fought it. Ranko helped. She's an incredibly powerful martial artist. The monster...it was strong, and it hurt Usagi pretty bad, but with Ranko's help, we were able to weaken it enough for her to finish it off. Then, while we were all checking on Usagi to see how badly she was hurt, this...man, with purple skin, showed up, and he just ran her through with a sword. There...wasn't any time for any of us to do anything. He came out of nowhere, and it was over before any of us really realized what was happening."

Mamoru nodded, face grim. "I see." He shook his head. "So...there's a new enemy. And we have to fight without Sailor Moon...without the Gin..." His head snapped up sharply. "The Ginzuishou. What happened to it?!"

Rei shifted uncomfortably. "About that, well..."

Ranma raised her hand. "I've got it," she said.

Mamoru stared at her, eyes wide. _"You...?"_

"Usagi kinda gave it t' me, just before she died," Ranma said. She reached into her top and pulled out a locket which hung around her neck on a silver chain. She pressed the two dots on the face of the locket; it opened to reveal the brilliant, shimmery crystal.

Mamoru gasped. "But...why..."

Rei and Ami exchanged a glance. Ami nodded grimly. Rei sat down beside Mamoru and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Mamoru-san...I know this is going to be hard for you to accept, but..." She took a deep breath. "Ranko...Usagi chose her..." She stopped for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to deliver the news.

"I'm her replacement," Ranma said bluntly. "I'm Sailor Moon now."

Mamoru's eyes widened. **"WHAT?!"**

"Mamoru-san...the new enemy is after the Ginzuishou. Usagi was targeted specifically. They knew she had it. That's what they were after. I believe...they knew she was the only one who could use the Ginzuishou."

Ranma nodded. "That's what Princess Serenity told me, when we were all knocked out."

"Princess...Serenity told you..." Mamoru frowned, brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"There's a piece of Usagi's soul still inside th' crystal," Ranma explained. "I _still_ don't get th' whole Princess Serenity thing, but anyway, she talked t' me, an' she asked me t' take her place, 'cuz it ain't enough just t' protect the crystal. Somebody's gotta be able t' _use_ it, or we're all screwed."

"I see..." Mamoru said thickly, eyes cloudy with pain. He gazed intently at Ranma, then nodded. "If...if she chose you...as her successor...I'll do my best to protect you and the Ginzuishou, at any cost."

Ranma laughed. "Thanks. Don't worry too much, though. I've pretty much got things under control."

"Ranko-chan was beating the hell out of the monster we were fighting, and that was _before_ she turned into Sailor Moon," Makoto said. "Without any Senshi powers whatsoever, she went all Street Fighter on that thing. It was unbelievable!"

"How DID you do that, Ranko-chan?" Ami asked. "I didn't think people could actually do things like that in real life."

Ranma chuckled. "Like I said, I'm th' best in th' whole world." She quickly sobered, and looked down at the table. "Anou...there's somethin' ya gotta know, though. About me. I got this kinda, well, problem..."

The others looked at her with concern. "What is it, Ranko? We'll help however we can."

"I wish you could," Ranma replied. She sighed, glancing at her teacup. She swallowed heavily. "Maybe I better wait 'til th' others get here, though. I don't wanna hafta explain it more than once..."

The door slid open. "We're here!" Minako called out.

A moment later, three girls walked through the door. A blue-black blur shot across the room and landed on the table in front of Rei. "Tell me it's not true! Usagi-chan...she can't really be dead!"

Rei opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by an ear-splitting scream.

The Senshi and Mamoru all stared in alarm at Ranma, who was suddenly clinging to the ceiling and screaming her head off. "C...c...c...c... _CAAAAAAAAAAT!_ "

"What the hell?" Makoto wondered, eyes wide with shock.

"Ranko?" Rei asked. "Are you...alright?"

The redhead declined to respond, electing instead to tremble and stutter in terror.

"Luna! Artemis! Wait outside!" Ami hissed at the two cats. Exchanging puzzled glances, they left the room, casting curious stares back over their shoulders at the freaked-out redhead on the ceiling.

Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Wow, I've never seen ailurophobia THAT bad before."

"Neither have I," Ami said. "This...complicated things."

"Ranko?" Rei called softly. "The cats are gone...please come down..."

"G-gone?" Ranma said, looking around warily. At the distinct lack of cats in the room, she took a deep, shuddering breath, dropped from the ceiling, and landed in a seated position at the table. "Sorry about that," she said.

"It's okay. We didn't know you were afraid of cats." Rei paused. "Is that what you were going to tell us?"

Ranma shuddered. "No...it's somethin' else. But I..." She paused suddenly. "Wait a sec. That c-cat...it didn't..." She shook her head. "Nah, couldn't be. I'm imaginin' things..."

"Talk? Yes, she can. Luna and Artemis—the white cat that was with her—can both talk," Ami explained. At Ranma's wide-eyed stare, she continued, "they're not ordinary cats, Ranko-chan. And I'm sorry to say this, but now that you're Sailor Moon, it's important for you to be able to deal with this ailurophobia, because Luna and Artemis are very important members of our team—"

"Wait. Back up there," Haruka said sharply. "What do you mean, 'now that she's Sailor Moon'?"

Rei took a deep breath, and explained everything that had happened in Nerima to the late arrivals...

* * *

Haruka and Michiru stared at the petite redhead. "Odango really gave you the Ginzuishou, right before she died?"

"Yeah. An' now I'm Sailor Moon. It ain't exactly th' best thing that coulda happened t' me, but I gotta do it. I'm gonna find out whoever th' hell's behind all this, an' they're gonna pay."

 _/You're absolutely certain that this new enemy was after the Ginzuishou?/_ a voice issued from the speaker of a mobile phone sitting in the middle of the table; before Rei had begun her explanation, Minako had gotten the idea to shove one of their phones outside, in speakerphone mode, with another phone on the table inside, so that Luna and Artemis could be included despite having been forced out on account of Ranma's ailurophobia.

Ranma shuddered, but fought it down to reply, "Yeah. That purple-skinned bastard was hell bent on takin' th' crystal from me."

 _/That's...troubling,/_ Luna said. _/I honestly can't think of anyone we haven't already faced who would even_ _ **know**_ _about the Ginzuishou./_

 _/Me either,/_ Artemis added. _/This one's a total mystery./_

"Ranko-chan," Minako said, "you said there was something you wanted to tell all of us, right?"

"Oh, yeah, that. I almost forgot." Ranma chuckled nervously. She took a deep breath. "First, I think we need more tea."

"Sure thing," Rei said. A few minutes later, she returned and refilled everyone's cup with fresh, hot tea.

"Okay, so spill your big secret," Haruka said, eyeing the redhead, arms folded.

"Okay, here goes..." Ranma picked up her teacup, but instead of drinking it, she dumped it over her head.

She gained a significant amount of height. Her hair turned jet black.

With a rough, masculine voice so very different from the voice they had heard earlier, Ranma said, "I'm Saotome Ranma. Sorry about this."

* * *

 _Ranma 1/2 is the intellectual property of Takahashi Rumiko. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is the intellectual property of Takeuchi Naoko. Shin Megami Tensei is the intellectual property of Atlus. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged._


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:**

F-sharp.

* * *

 **CHIKAN SENSHI SAILORMOON**

 _by Mythril Moth_

 **Chapter Four**

 _"We Don't Accept You! Uranus And Neptune Versus Ranma"_

"I'm Saotome Ranma. Sorry about this."

The gathered Senshi stared at Ranma, mouths agape. Mamoru blinked repeatedly.

 _/What's happening in there? Who was that talking just now?/_ Luna demanded over the open line.

"Ranko?" Rei asked slowly. "But...but..."

Ranma sighed. "It's a _real_ long story, but first...you gotta know this is the _real_ me. I'm a guy, I was born a guy, an' up until about a year an' a half ago, I was one hundred percent male..."

* * *

The youngest of the three Tendou sisters, Akane, walked out of the family dojo, dressed in a sweat-damp yellow gi; a towel was draped around her shoulders, and her face was flushed from exercise. "Oneechan? Have you seen Ranma?"

The eldest sister, Kasumi, paused in sweeping the walkway connecting the dojo to the house. "Ranma-kun called while you were working out," she said. "He said he had something to take care of, and won't be back until after dark, or possibly tomorrow."

Akane frowned. "Something to take care of? What...?"

"He didn't say, but he sounded very upset," Kasumi said. "I hope nothing serious happened."

"If he's off doing something perverted..."

Kasumi frowned. "Akane-chan, you really need to stop thinking the worst of him all the time."

"I don't think the worst of him _all_ the time!" Akane replied defensively. "Just...okay, _most_ of the time, but he's just such an idiot and a pervert and..."

Kasumi sighed. "In any event, please try to trust him a little more. Has he ever really let you down? I mean, when it really counted?"

"Well...no..."

A faint ringtone drifted through the door of the dojo. Kasumi raised an eyebrow. "Ara...did you forget your phone in the dojo again?"

Akane flushed. "Yeah, I guess I did." She hurried back into the dojo, and came out again talking into her phone. "Moshi-moshi? Oh, hey Ukyou. Eh? Ranma? Actually, Oneechan just said he called a little while ago and isn't coming home tonight, why...?" She listened for a moment longer. "Well, yeah, sometimes Ranma's fights do a little damage...eh?" She held the phone away from her ear, tapped a few keys, and stared at the screen. Her eyes widened even further, and she went pale. She placed the phone back against her ear. "Th-that...are you _sure_ Ranma was caught up in that? ...yeah. I'll be sure to let you know when he comes back. Thanks for...yeah. Bye."

Akane walked past her sister into the house and sank heavily onto the sofa in the TV room. "Ranma..."

"What happened, Akane-chan?" Kasumi asked, sitting down beside her.

Wordlessly, Akane handed over her phone. On the screen was a picture of a completely destroyed street, littered with twisted husks of mailboxes, wrecked signposts, crumpled vending machines, and storefronts with shattered windows and burnt remnants of awnings and noren.

"Ara maa," Kasumi said. "What in the world happened there?"

"That's the block halfway between Ukyou's place and the ice cream shop," Akane said quietly. "She said Ranma was at her shop this morning, and there were some girls from another ward there. After they ate, they went with Ranma to the ice cream shop. About an hour after they left Ukyou's, THAT happened. She tried to call Ranma, but he's not answering his phone."

"Ara..." Kasumi studied the small, grainy cellphone photo intently. "Is that...is that _blood?_ " she asked.

Akane took the phone back from her, staring at the picture. Her eyes widened. "I think it is," she said sickly.

The phone rang again. Akane quickly answered it. "Ukyou? What... _ **WHAT?**_ Uso..." Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god...no, it definitely wasn't...he called here not too long ago, so it couldn't be...yeah, I'll let you know as soon as we hear from him again. I'm sure he's fine. He has to be." She hung up, and her phone slipped from her fingers, landing in her lap.

"Akane-chan? What is it?"

Akane looked up at her sister, face pale. "There...there's been a murder," she said. "A girl...was killed."

Kasumi gasped. "Sonna..."

Akane picked her phone back up, and tried to call Ranma. Kasumi watched intently. After almost two minutes, Akane disconnected in frustration. "The idiot's got his phone turned off," she muttered. "Has to be. Baka..."

* * *

"...'an that's about it."

"Wow," Makoto said. "That...um...that sucks."

"Tell me about it," Ranma muttered. "Um...you gals aren't pissed at me, are you?"

"Huh? Why would we be?" Minako asked.

"It's just...I let you think I was a real girl, an'..."

"Well, that makes sense," Ami said reasonably. "When we met you, you were female, and there was no reason you'd have needed to tell a group of girls from the other side of Tokyo about your...problem..."

"It sure does explain why you're such a tomboy," Makoto teased.

"Now that you mention it, I _did_ wonder why 'Ranko' talked like a boy..." Rei said. She gazed intently at Ranma. "But...given everything you just told us, I'm surprised you agreed to become Sailor Moon's replacement so easily..."

Ranma shrugged. "Honestly? It ain't the strangest thing I've hadda do as a girl."

"I'm not sure I want to know," Mamoru said.

"Me neither," Minako said, turning green.

"Anyway, I couldn't say no," Ranma said. "Y'hadda be there. When Serenity asked me...it was like, I just couldn't say no. Like whatever she wanted me t' do, I hadda do it."

Rei smiled sadly. "I think we all know what you mean."

"Yeah, she...that's just how she was," Makoto agreed, voice rough.

"An'...an' I think she knew. Or at least, th' crystal knew. Right before I woke up, she called me by my real name."

 _/The Ginzuishou was likely speaking directly to your heart,/_ Luna said. _/If that's the case, then it knew who and what you really were. Since it accepted you regardless, that's good enough for me./_

 _/And me,/_ Artemis added.

"Me too," Rei said. Ami, Minako, and Makoto nodded agreement.

Haruka folded her arms. "I'm sorry, I'm not that easily swayed. I know nothing about this boy."

"We both respected Princess Serenity, but she was far from infallible," Michiru said. "It might be better if the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou were handed over to one of the other Senshi. Sailor Mars, for instance. Though I think I'd rather it be given to Sailor Pluto."

"Where IS Setsuna-san?" Minako asked.

"We're not sure," Michiru said. "She's not always the easiest person to track down. But I'm sure she won't be at all pleased with the Ginzuishou falling into the hands of an outsider." She turned to Ranma, her gaze beseeching. "Please, give us the Ginzuishou. You need not be involved in any of this."

"I ain't givin' it t' nobody," Ranma said flatly. "Not until we finish this, anyway."

"I'm not sure we should give you a choice in the matter," Haruka said.

Mamoru glared at her. "This is **NOT** the time."

"No," Haruka shot back, "this is **EXACTLY** the time. Before this new enemy shows up again. Before this... _person_...makes a mistake that puts us all in danger."

"Lady, you're startin' t' piss me off," Ranma said hotly.

"Would everyone _please_ calm down?" Ami pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Ami-san, but Haruka-chan is right," Michiru said gently. "This is a matter which must be settled before anything else."

"And we're settling it right now," Haruka added, standing. Her henshin wand was already in her hand. **"URANUS PLANET POWER, MAKE-UP!"**

Michiru stood as well. **"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER, MAKE-UP!"**

Ranma groaned. "You two are as bad as Ryouga," he muttered. "An' I don't like t' fight girls, but..." He grabbed Mamoru's tea, poked a fingertip into it to check the temperature, nodded, and dumped it over his head. It had cooled enough to trigger the change. With a grim smile, the redhead pulled the henshin locket out of her top. **"MOON SPIRIT POWER, MAKE-UP!"**

The sight of Ranma clad in the painfully familiar seifuku was enough to make Mamoru break down again, but this was noticed only by Rei; everyone else was staring in shock and dismay as three Senshi bolted out into the courtyard. Ami, Minako, and Makoto rose to their feet and raced after them.

A moment later, Makoto returned. "Anou...Rei...you know they're about to trash this place out there, right?"

Rei shot to her feet in alarm. "Mamoru-san...gomen nasai!" With that, she raced outside to join the others.

* * *

"Y'sure you two wanna do this?" Sailor Moon asked. "Cuz I'm in a REAL bad mood right now, an' I ain't gonna hold back."

"Come at us with everything you've got then, impostor," Sailor Uranus said. She raised her right hand above her head; streaks of light gathered in her open palm. **"WORLD..."** She closed her fist and slammed it into the ground. _**"SHAKING!"**_ A massive golden energy ball erupted from the point of impact, tearing up the ground beneath it as it flew toward Sailor Moon.

The newest Senshi leapt high into the air; Uranus' attack succeeded in little more than rending a deep gash in the shrine courtyard and uprooting an ancient tree.

 **"MOON TIARA ACTION!"** Sailor Moon removed her tiara, which transformed into a disc of deadly golden light, and hurled it at the taller Senshi. Uranus dodged, but didn't entirely avoid the return path of the tiara, which clipped her in the shoulder, drawing blood.

 _ **"HARUKA!"**_ Sailor Neptune cried. She scowled at Sailor Moon, who had just landed lightly on the ground. **"DEEP...SUBMERGE!"**

A shining blue energy ball erupted from Neptune's outstretched palms, zooming toward Sailor Moon with the speed and power of surging waves. The redhead dived under it and kicked upwards, sending it flying into the air. As Neptune stared in utter shock, Sailor Moon charged, bodychecking her; the green-haired Senshi was sent flying, crashing into the omamori counter and sliding to the ground.

An enraged Uranus rushed Sailor Moon like an angry bull, bellowing. The shorter Senshi nimbly leapt out of her way, then spun around and kicked her three times in the back of the head before she landed. Uranus staggered, but managed to keep her footing; she pulled an ornate, jewel-encrusted scimitar out of thin air.

From the sidelines, Minako gasped. "Haruka-san! You don't need to go THAT far...!"

Uranus slashed at the redhead, who parried with a pink sceptre that was suddenly in her hand. She stared at it, blinking. "Gah." Shrugging, she used it to fend off Uranus' attacks, then swung it in a wide arc and slammed it into the taller Senshi's temple. Uranus cried out and dropped to the ground, stunned.

"Anou...Ranma-kun...that's not how you're supposed to use that," Ami said, a pained expression on her face. Rei facepalmed.

Neptune started to pull out her own Talisman, but before she could, she found herself slammed up against the courtyard wall, windpipe cut off by the shaft of Sailor Moon's sceptre. "Give up. _Now._ I don't wanna hurt you," the redhead said.

Feeling a rush of wind behind her, Sailor Moon spun around, grabbing Neptune by the shoulders as she did so and positioning her in between herself and the incoming strike; Uranus' sword halted millimeters from Neptune's face. Her eyes widened in shock. She lowered her sword, bowing her head. "Kisama..." she spat.

Sailor Moon gently lowered Neptune to the ground; her sceptre disappeared. She fixed Uranus with a steady gaze. "I don't wanna hurt you OR your friend," she said quietly. "I didn't start this fight. **You** did. And now it's over." She shimmered; her seifuku was replaced by her borrowed miko outfit.

Taking the hint, Uranus and Neptune returned to their normal forms; Haruka helped Michiru to her feet. The seafoam-haired girl was still somewhat wobbly, and rubbing at her throat where the shorter girl had pinned her earlier. "I admit you're at least a more competent fighter than _she_ was," Haruka said bitterly. "And you have a ruthless streak she lacked. I don't trust you, but...for now, I suppose the Ginzuishou remains with you."

Without another word, the two defeated Senshi left; Haruka's tires squealed loudly as they pulled away from the shrine.

"Real friendly, ain't they?" Ranma said, sighing.

"If it helps, it isn't just you," Ami said. "None of us get much respect from those two."

"But...then why are they Sailor Senshi?" Ranma asked, confused.

Ami sighed. "Come back inside, I'll explain..."

As everyone went back into the shrine, Rei surveyed the damage to the courtyard, and fumed. "Oh, those two are **so** cleaning this mess up."

* * *

Underneath the wrecked omamori counter, Luna and Artemis conferred.

"He's good," Artemis said. "And a little scary. Using Neptune as a human shield..."

"He's a much better fighter than Usagi-chan was," Luna said, nodding. "I mean, it's hard to accept there's a new Sailor Moon at all, and nobody can ever take the place of Usagi-chan, but..."

"He just pasted Uranus and Neptune," Artemis said. "Imagine what he'll do to the enemy."

"Un." Luna sighed. "Now, if we can just get him over his fear of cats..."

"That was...really weird," Artemis admitted. "I've never seen anybody freak out like that over a couple of cats before..."

"Shingo-kun used to be afraid of cats, and he could throw a pretty good tantrum about it, but..." Luna sighed. "We'll work it out somehow."

* * *

"So they're sorta...separate from th' rest'a you gals?"

"Hai," Ami said. "We had already faced a number of deadly opponents before we were even aware of their existence." She frowned. "The problem with Haruka-san and Michiru-san is that they're extremists. They believe in going to whatever lengths are necessary to accomplish their goals."

"Yeah, I kinda got that," Ranma, now male again, said.

"They have good intentions, really," Ami said. "It's just...they're a little intense, and distant."

"Well, it doesn't matter," Ranma said with a shrug. "Just as long as they don't get in my way when we're fightin' a real enemy."

Makoto walked in. "Your clothes are dry now, Ranma," she said.

"Thanks," Ranma replied, leaving the room to change.

Makoto sat down at Ranma's vacant spot at the table. "So, what do you think?" she asked.

"Honestly? I'm not sure," Ami replied. "But Usagi-chan trusted him. We should too."

"That's not what I meant at all," Makoto said. She grinned. "Isn't he _cute?_ "

Ami facefaulted. " _Mako-chan!_ Mou..."

A few minutes later, Ranma returned. "Crap, it's gettin' late," he said. "I think I better head home." He took a few minutes to exchange phone numbers with the rest of the Senshi, then left the shrine.

* * *

Standing atop the torii, Orpheus watched the young martial artist leave the shrine. Burning red eyes narrowed, he followed his quarry...

* * *

 _Ranma 1/2 is the intellectual property of Takahashi Rumiko. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is the intellectual property of Takeuchi Naoko. Shin Megami Tensei is the intellectual property of Atlus. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged._


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes:**

Butter.

* * *

 **CHIKAN SENSHI SAILORMOON**

 _by Mythril Moth_

 **Chapter Five**

 _"Moonlight Battle! Orpheus' Last Stand!"_

Ranma was two meters from the bus stop when the hairs on the back of his neck began to rise. He leapt in the air; he looked down to see a familiar sword stab into the sidewalk where he had just been.

He narrowed his eyes. "I coulda sworn I killed you."

Orpheus pulled his sword from the ground and slung it over his shoulder, red eyes burning with hatred. "One such as you cannot possibly kill me," he said. "Now, hand over that crystal."

"Go to hell," Ranma snarled, settling into a fighting stance.

"Oh?" Orpheus asked, amused. "You're going to fight me without transforming?"

"I don't need t' be Sailor Moon t' kick your ass, freak."

"Have it your way, then," Orpheus said. He raised a hand over his head; a dancing ball of flames appeared. **"Agidyne."**

Ranma leapt sideways as a massive blast of fire erupted from the purple-skinned swordsman. Wrenching the bus schedule sign out of the ground, he charged with a bellow, almost parallel to the ground as he blurred towards Orpheus, swinging the sign with all his might. It caught the swordsman in the side of the head and sent him flying. The cursed martial artist rushed after the downed killer, not giving him a chance to recover; he brought his improvised weapon down on his foe repeatedly, raining blow after blow until the sign tore free from the post and the post itself was a dented, mangled mess of metal. Ranma discarded it, picked up Orpheus' sword, and raised it, planning on stabbing the swordsman with his own weapon again...

 **"Tetrakarn,"** Orpheus whispered. The tip of the blade skittered against a wall of light that sprang into existence between the two; the unexpected force feedback of the shield was enough to throw Ranma off his feet, the sword flying from his hands. Orpheus stood, retrieving his sword, and stalked over to the pigtailed boy. "I could kill you so easily," he said. "But you have angered me. I want to take my time with you. I want to hurt you. I want to make you scream as I take you apart piece by piece. Only _THEN_ will I kill you, once you are begging for death."

"You sure love t'hear yourself yap," Ranma said as he stood. "How 'bout I shut that stupid trap'a yours once an' for all?"

Orpheus sneered. "You already failed to kill me once. What is the point in fighting against the inevitable?"

"Oh, you're totally evitable," Ranma retorted. "Hey...how'd you know it was me, anyway? Last time we fought, I was a girl..."

"I can sense your aura, and the aura of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou," Orpheus replied. "No matter where you go in this world, no matter what shape you take, you cannot hide from me."

"Like I wanna," Ranma snorted. "Okay, let's finish this."

Without further words, they tore into each other; Ranma's fists and feet flew at nigh-supersonic speeds, while Orpheus' sword flashed in the fading light of evening. Streetlights began to come on as they duelled; the two combatants drifted in and out of the shallow pools of electric light as they battled up the street.

As they passed a convenience store some distance up the road from the shrine, a feint by Orpheus slipped through Ranma's guard; he barely avoided being gutted, but the force of the blow from the flat of the massive blade was enough to send him crashing through the store's glass door.

The cashier cried out in alarm. " _ **KYAA!**_ Don't hurt me! Take whatever you want!"

"I...ain't a robber, lady..." Ranma said, grunting as he stood, brushing slivers of glass from numerous small cuts on his arms. "Ah, crap, sorry about your door..."

"It's...it's okay..." the young cashier stammered, eyes wide.

Orpheus stalked through the shattered door, grabbed Ranma by the collar, and threw him out into the street.

The cashier cringed at the sounds of extreme violence outside, and was about to call the police when suddenly Ranma reappeared in the doorway. "Can I get a bottle'a water?" he asked, digging a handful of coins out of his pocket.

"Aa...hai!" the cashier replied nervously.

"Thanks." Ranma grabbed a bottle of water, tossed his money on the counter, and exited. The cashier simply stared after him, blinking dazedly.

Back on the street, Ranma emptied the bottle over his head. "Okay, you want th' crystal? You got th' crystal. _**MOON SPIRIT POWER, MAKE-UP!**_ "

Sailor Moon grinned unpleasantly at her opponent. "Round two."

* * *

Hibiki Ryouga trudged wearily down the road, looking up at the waxing moon above. He sighed.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never get where he wanted to be when he wanted to be there. Even now, he wasn't sure entirely where he was. This morning, he was sure he'd found the Tendou dojo, but it turned out he was in Chiyoda-ku. A helpful old lady had told him he needed to go northwest, and he'd tried to follow her directions using the sun, but he'd misjudged what time of day it was (his watch was broken and his phone battery was dead), so he ended up going the wrong way. He was halfway to Adachi-ku when he realized his error; trying to get his bearings, he headed in what he thought was the direction of Nerima-ku.

An hour ago, he'd run into the same helpful old lady again, and she'd seemed surprised to see him.

Now, he was... _somewhere_ , only the gods knew where, and as it was getting late, he needed to find someplace to set up camp for the night.

He knew he was at least still in Tokyo, not that that really helped any.

He paused as he heard the unmistakable sounds of an intense battle from somewhere just ahead. The sounds drew closer; a head of fiery-red hair briefly swam into view in the halo of a streetlight.

"...Ranma?" he wondered.

Two figures suddenly passed over his head. He ducked and whirled, tensing; they landed beneath another streetlight, and Ryouga stared in disbelief.

One of them was wearing armor and had purple skin, glowing red eyes, and a huge sword.

The other looked a heck of a lot like Ranma in his girl form, but...this girl was wearing an outfit Ranma would never be caught dead in, and something was... _off_ about her face. Try as he might, he couldn't really figure out who she was.

Not that he had time; the duelling pair quickly disappeared into the darkness once more.

Curious, Ryouga followed the sounds of their combat.

* * *

 **"MOON TIARA ACTION!"** Sailor Moon cried, hurling her glowing weapon at Orpheus. He dodged, but she had expected that; she charged in, forcing him backward with her Amaguriken; her intent was to drive him into the return path of the tiara, since it had worked on Sailor Uranus earlier.

It worked even better this time; the tiara struck Orpheus in the center of his back, cracking his armor. He let out a grunt of pain and staggered; Sailor Moon used the opening to pummel his face with a flurry of punches, then kick him several meters down the street. Pausing only to replace her tiara, she charged after him, leaping high in the air to deliver a follow-up attack that would certainly end the fight. She cupped her hands, which began to glow. **"MOKO..."**

 **"Makarakarn."**

 _ **"...TAKABISHA!"**_ Sailor Moon yelled, thrusting her palms downward. A solid beam of light slammed into Orpheus...and bounced off another barrier of light, which reflected it right back at the surprised Senshi.

"Oh, **fu** —"

Sailor Moon's world exploded in light and pain.

As the dazed Senshi plummeted to the ground, landing in a twitching, groaning heap, Orpheus stood, picked up his sword, and walked over to her. "And now it ends," he said. He raised his sword to strike a killing blow...

Something grabbed hold of it and wrenched it from his hand. Then grabbed hold of his scarf and threw him to the ground, hard.

Orpheus looked up and saw a boy with filthy black hair and dust-covered clothes standing protectively in front of Sailor Moon. The boy scowled at him, baring beastly fangs. "Leave the girl alone, you bastard!" the boy snarled.

Orpheus sighed. "I hate humans. You're all so tiresome."

The boy charged, brandishing a red umbrella; Orpheus didn't bother to guard against this seemingly foolish attack, and was therefore stunned when the boy and his umbrella plowed into him with the force of a bullet train. Bits of his armor fell away, and a trickle of black blood oozed from a deep wound in his gut. "Ma...masaka..." he gasped.

The boy with the umbrella wasn't finished; he administered a truly savage beatdown which left Orpheus dazed and insensate. He lay prone on the street, barely able to see, as the umbrella boy worked him over; every new hit introduced him to pain unlike any he had ever known.

"I think you got him," Sailor Moon said. The umbrella boy spun around; Orpheus tried to summon the power to cast a spell at the boy's back, but found his strength had completely left him.

"Are...are you alright?" the boy asked.

Sailor Moon nodded. "Un. I coulda handled him, but uh...thanks." Before the umbrella boy could say another word, the red-haired Senshi leapt high into the air and vanished.

Orpheus struggled to lift himself up. "Ki...kisama..."

"You failed again, Orpheus," an echoing female voice called from all around them. A chilly fog suddenly filled the street. A large, pearlescent pink mirror appeared out of thin air; its surface rippled as a female figure emerged from it. She was slender, buxom, and clad in a very tight black bodysuit with symmetrical diagonal white strips across each breast. A white poncho adorned with two rows of rectangles, one red and one blue, was draped loosely about her shoulders. Her head was covered with a white mask that bore a graceful, serene expression. In each hand, she held a gleaming white scimitar, the blades serrated so that the swords resembled stylized metallic angel wings.

"Isis," Orpheus spat. "So it's to be you, then."

"You didn't expect Lord Thanatos to allow you to live after you failed to retrieve the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou for a second time, did you?" Isis asked.

Orpheus sighed. "Of course not."

With quick, precise slashes, Isis dismembered and decapitated Orpheus. His body dissolved into motes of shadow which quickly evaporated like boiling water.

Isis glanced up at the boy with the umbrella, and pointed one of her swords, now smeared with thick black blood, at him. "Never interfere with us again," she said. "If you do, you **will** die." With that, she stepped into the pink mirror again; the mirror and the fog vanished as abruptly as they had appeared.

Hibiki Ryouga stared at the spot where she had been for a long time, trying to make sense of what he had just seen.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when Ranma finally made it home. "Tadaima," he called wearily as he slipped off his shoes.

"Ranma! Where _WERE_ you? We were so worried!" Akane cried, rushing up to him. It seemed as though she couldn't decide whether to hug him, hit him, or shake him.

He sighed. "Can it wait 'til tomorrow, Akane? I just had a hell of a weird day, an' I'm beat." Without waiting for a response, he trudged off to bed.

Akane sighed. "Baka," she whispered, eyes shining with tears of relief.

* * *

 _Ranma 1/2 is the intellectual property of Takahashi Rumiko. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is the intellectual property of Takeuchi Naoko. Shin Megami Tensei is the intellectual property of Atlus. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged._


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes:**

Butter.

* * *

 **CHIKAN SENSHI SAILORMOON**

 _by Mythril Moth_

 **Chapter Six**

 _"Cat Fight?! Sailor Moon's Worst Nightmare!"_

Ranma trudged wearily down to breakfast the following morning after throwing his father into the pond at the crack of dawn. "Mornin'," he muttered, yawning hugely as he sat at the table.

"Oh, did you not get enough sleep, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked. "You got back so late..."

"I'm just a little worn out from yesterday still," Ranma said. "It ain't nothin', don't worry."

"Where _were_ you all day, Ranma?" Akane asked. "Your phone wasn't on, and Ukyou called...she e-mailed me a picture of that street that was all torn up, said there'd been a murder..."

Ranma stiffened. "Ah...yeah. Some freak with a sword showed up an'...killed this girl," he said. "She was with a group'a friends, they were from Azabu-Juuban. I met 'em at Ucchan's. I hung out with 'em eatin' ice cream for a bit, then on the way to the train station, well...all hell broke loose."

"Some nut with a sword just randomly killed a girl from halfway across Tokyo?" Nabiki asked, shocked. "Did you get the guy?"

"Yeah, he's...he won't be hurtin' nobody else," Ranma said. He sighed. "Anyway, I went with those girls back t' their part o' town, made sure nothin' else bad happened, then I hadda wait for my clothes t' wash an' dry, cuz I was covered in that girl's blood..."

Akane pressed her hands to her face. "Ranma..."

"This is disturbing," Tendou Soun said from behind his newspaper at the head of the table. "I know our community has a bad reputation for violence and mayhem..."

"Most of it coming out of this very house..." Nabiki said dryly.

"But for there to be a murder in the middle of the street in broad daylight..."

Ranma sighed, eating breakfast with less than his usual gusto.

"Was it...was the killer...anybody we know?" Akane asked.

Ranma shook his head. "Nah. I dunno who he was, though. He had a weird costume, his face was painted purple...he was some kinda nut."

"How strange..."

"Anyway, we're gonna get some new students pretty soon," Ranma said. "Those girls're comin' here t' learn self-defense."

"Oh, good, we haven't had any students in forever," Nabiki said. "I ain't chargin' 'em," Ranma told her, eyes half-lidded.

Nabiki deflated. "You suck."

"Nabiki-chan!" Kasumi chided. "I think it's very noble of Ranma-kun to teach these girls to protect themselves after what happened to their friend."

"I'll help you train them, Ranma," Akane said.

"Thanks," Ranma replied.

As Ranma leaned across the table to refill his rice bowl, Nabiki noticed a glint of gold around his neck. "Oh?" Reaching over the table, she plunged her hand down the neck of Ranma's shirt and pulled out the locket he now wore.

 _"HEY!"_ Ranma yelped.

"What's with the bling, Saotome?" Nabiki asked.

"It's...just somethin' I picked up yesterday. Thought it looked cool, is all," Ranma said, snatching it away from her and stuffing it back down his shirt with a flush.

Saotome Genma had chosen that moment to enter the room, towelling his bald head. He raised an eyebrow behind his glasses. "Jewelry, boy? Isn't that a little...girly?"

Soun coughed. "Do you remember high school, Saotome-kun?"

Genma broke out in a nervous sweat. "H-high school? Why, I don't know what you're—"

"Your disco phase?"

Everyone at the table raised an eyebrow, staring at Genma. He laughed. "Ahahahah...Tendou-kun, you old joker..."

"I'm pretty sure I still have that old photo of you wearing an afro wig," Soun said, mustache twitching. "Perhaps I should—"

Genma ran from the room; the laughter of the others followed him.

"Oyaji...in an afro wig...oh man, I'm gonna be laughin' all day about that," Ranma said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"In any case, I think your new locket is quite fashionable, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said. "Do you have any pictures to put inside it?"

"It, ah...doesn't open," Ranma said, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, that's too bad," Kasumi said. "Would anyone like more fish?"

* * *

Ami was sitting on her bed, turning pages in a book without really taking in the contents, when her phone rang. "Moshi-moshi?"

 _/Yo, Ami. It's Ranma./_

"Aa! Ohayou gozaimasu, Ranma-kun."

 _/Listen...y'know that asshole that killed Usagi? Well...I thought I got 'im, but on my way home last night, he jumped me outta nowhere./_

Ami's eyes widened. "Oh my god! Are you alright?"

 _/Yeah, I took a hell of a beatin' offa him, but nothin' I couldn't handle./_ Ranma chuckled. _/It coulda got ugly, but this friend'a mine showed up, saw what was goin' on, an' beat that bastard so hard I don't think he'll be gettin' up again for a long time./_ He sighed. _/Then again, that's what I thought when I ran him through. Listen, I know it's me an' th' crystal he's after, but...let the others know, and you girls watch yourselves, okay?/_

"Of course. Thank you for the warning, Ranma-kun."

 _/Hey...I know th' timin' sucks, an' I understand if you all need a couple days after...after what happened...but th' sooner I get you girls in th' dojo an' start trainin' ya, th' better. If I wasn't as fast as I am, he mighta actually killed me. Th' rest'a you wouldn't stand a chance./_

"I agree...as you said, it may be a few days before any of us can...can really focus on anything, but I'll be sure to encourage the others to begin training with you as soon as possible." She paused. "I'd come today, but I don't really want to be the only one there, and I'm not sure about the others..."

 _/Hey, you need time t' grieve too,/_ Ranma said.

"Honestly, I could use a distraction," Ami replied miserably. "I've been sitting here reading ahead in my history text, like I usually do during summer break...I've read two whole chapters, but I can't for the life of me remember what they were about."

Ranma chuckled. _/That happens t' me all th' time with school stuff./_

"Not to me, it doesn't," Ami replied. "In any case, I'll talk to the others, and then we'll set up a day for training."

 _/Cool. Later./_

Ami sat for a minute after Ranma's call, brow furrowed, deep in thought, before calling the other Senshi.

* * *

"More tea, Chiba-kun?"

"Please."

Hino Ichirou refilled Mamoru's cup, then his own. His lined face was solemn. "I still can't believe...when Rei-chan told me, it was..."

"Yeah," Mamoru said roughly.

He was a mess. Not long after Ranma had left, he'd broken down sobbing; he'd cried himself to sleep right where he was sitting now, and Rei had simply placed a blanket over him and sat with him during the night. He hadn't woken up until nearly ten in the morning. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, his clothes were rumpled, his hair was a mess, and his face bore a rough patch of stubble.

The two men heard an earsplitting shriek of **"WHAT?!"** from outside. Suddenly, the door flew open with tremendous force; Rei pelted into the room. Her eyes were wide and her face was pale. "He...he's still alive," she said breathlessly. "He attacked Ranma last night."

The old priest's eyebrows rose. "What's this all about, Rei-chan?"

Rei winced, realizing too late her grandfather was in the room. "The murderer, the one...the one who..." She trailed off. "I just found out he attacked a friend of ours last night."

Mamoru looked up sharply. "Is...is he...?"

"Un," Rei nodded. "But..."

"What did you mean by 'still alive'?" Rei's grandfather asked.

Rei grimaced. "We...didn't tell the police this part, but our friend Ranma...he fought Usagi's killer, and ran him through with his own sword. He...disappeared while we were waiting for the police, but...there didn't seem to be any way he could have survived his wound..."

"Sou ka," the old priest said, brows contracting. "Most disturbing."

Mamoru stood suddenly. "Please excuse me," he said roughly. "I have something I must do."

* * *

The sky was cloudy over Fuurinkan; the clouds and a light breeze took the edge off the summer afternoon heat.

"Ni hao, Ranma!"

Ranma, who was doing kata on the roof of the Tendou house, sighed tiredly. "I really ain't in th' mood for you today, Shampoo."

The violet-haired Amazon frowned prettily. "Then get in mood, Ranma," she said curtly. "I make extra-special lunch, for just us! You come with Shampoo now, yes?"

"No," Ranma replied, not even looking at her.

"I see. So that how you wanting it, Ranma?"

The cursed martial artist heard a splash, followed by a sound that chilled him to the bone.

 _"Myaaa!"_

"Oh g-g-god, Sh-shampoo, n-n-not th' c-c-cat..."

A ball of fur and claws latched itself onto Ranma's back. He screamed in terror, leaping off the roof and running in circles around the yard. _**"GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!"**_ he shrieked.

The Tendou sisters emerged from the house to investigate the noise, and Akane sighed in annoyance when she saw what was happening. "Shampoo," she muttered. She reached out as Ranma ran past and violently plucked the lavender cat off his back, then unceremoniously punted her over the property wall.

"Th-thanks, Akane," Ranma said shakily.

Akane rolled her eyes and went back into the house. Ranma, still rattled, resumed his practice.

Nobody noticed a pink oval mirror embedded in the outside wall of the house which most definitely did not belong there. Nobody noticed the serene white masked face floating in the mirror.

"Interesting..." Isis chuckled to herself.

The mirror vanished.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, a wet, naked Shampoo retrieved her clothes and belongings. As she did so, she noticed she had a new text message. "Text from Akane?" she wondered. She frowned as she read it.

 _ranma saw some1 murdered yesterday.  
lay off ok?_

Shampoo's eyes widened. "Aiyah..."

She was about to text Ranma an apology when she felt a presence behind her. She spun around, tensing for a fight.

The masked woman standing behind her laughed softly. "That was quite a show back there...quite a show indeed."

"Who you? What you want?"

The strange woman produced a card from thin air; the side of it facing Shampoo depicted an expressionless mask, half black and half white. "Yes...you'll do, for a start," she said. She flipped the card around; the other side depicted a sultry, masked catgirl, poised in a stalking crouch.

 _"Arise... **NEKOMATA!** "_

The image on the card suddenly sprang to life, leaping from the card and pouncing at Shampoo, expanding as she did so and becoming insubstantial, smoke-like. The shadowy catgirl passed through Shampoo, who stiffened, back arched. The startled Amazon felt her mind being overtaken by some strange force. She tried to resist, but found herself falling...falling...

Shampoo's body slumped to the ground. Her deep red eyes turned golden, and her pupils became slitted. Large, furry cat ears burst from the top of her head. Her teeth became elongated, pointed, and her fingernails grew into long, sharp claws.

She sprang to all fours, crouching low, as a long, furry violet tail poked its way out from the hem of her short dress, lashing violently.

"Your friend has something I desire. Kill him, and bring it to me."

The newly-transformed Shampoo let out a yowl and sprang away. Isis laughed as she faded from view.

* * *

Ranma was toweling off after his workout when a curvy silhouette crested over the boundary wall. He sighed. "Hoo boy. Hey, Shampoo, didn't I already tell ya I ain't gonna go nowhere with you today?"

"What? She's back _AGAIN?!_ " Akane cried from the veranda. "Why that..."

Shampoo landed silently in front of Ranma, crouched on all fours. A furry tail, the same color as her hair, was lashing angrily behind her. Her eyes narrowed, and she hissed at Ranma.

Ranma flinched away from her. "Uhh...Shampoo? Wh-what th' heck're you..."

Akane frowned at the Amazon. "I thought you had at least _some_ decency, Shampoo, but..."

With an earsplitting yowl, Shampoo pounced on Akane, knocked her flat on her back, then sprang high into the air. She hung suspended in midair for a moment, then plunged toward Ranma, razor-sharp claws bared.

 **"AKANE!"** Ranma cried as he leapt out of the way of Shampoo's strike. "Okay, Shampoo, I dunno what th' HELL's gotten inta you, but..."

"Ranma...I kill!" Shampoo growled. Her voice was strangely distorted; it was as though a dark, ominous echo was intertwined with her normal voice.

"Hey, I know you're ticked at me for not goin' on a date with you, but this is ridiculous!" Ranma retorted.

"Ranma...I think something's wrong with her," Akane said, standing. "Look...look at her eyes."

Ranma followed Akane's gaze and saw that Shampoo's eyes, normally a deep, dark red, were now a faintly glowing gold, with slitted pupils. "Wh-what..."

Shampoo leapt at him, teeth bared; he leapt to the side, spinning around with his hands behind his back. "Shampoo, what..." He dodged another vicious tackle. "Has gotten..." He leapt straight up, planting her face on the ground with a foot. _"INTA YOU?!"_

Shampoo stood, swaying, golden eyes burning. It was then that Ranma finally noticed the ears peeking out of her violet mane.

His mind racing, Ranma assembled the visual evidence into a picture that caused him to seize up in fright. "C-c-c-cat...girl..."

"Cut it OUT, Shampoo! This isn't funny! It's bad enough when you do this with your curse, but putting on fake ears and a tail..." Akane waved a fist threateningly at Shampoo. "This is in poor taste even for you! Didn't you get my text? **KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!** "

Shampoo ignored her, leaping for Ranma's throat, claws extended.

Reacting quickly, Akane grabbed her father's shogi board from the veranda and hurled it at the catgirl, knocking her off course and sending her careening into the koi pond. She erupted from the water, hissing and yowling...

...and unchanged.

"Wh-what?!" Akane cried, startled. "Shampoo...are you cured?"

This seemed to snap Ranma out of his daze. "Wh-what? _Cured?!_ " He turned to stare at Shampoo. "She...she didn't...change..." He paused, shuddering. "N-no, she's...she's WORSE than a c-c-cat now..."

"How come she didn't change?" Akane wondered, even as she she attempted to keep Shampoo away from Ranma, who was still rooted in place. "And why is she trying to kill you?"

"I don't know, I don't know!" Ranma yelped in panic. He leapt frantically out of the path of a particularly vicious pounce from Shampoo which would have torn a hole in his neck. "Shampoo, ya gotta cut it out!"

Shampoo landed on all fours, and reached up to lick the back of her hand. Her eyes fixed predatorially on Ranma, she hissed, in that strangely melded voice, "Give crystal."

Ranma froze. "...WHAT did you say?" he asked quietly.

"Give crystal," Shampoo repeated.

"What crystal? What's she talking about?" Akane asked.

"How should I know?" Ranma cried. "She's obviously insane! She's not even human anymore!" He glared at the catgirl, fighting down a shudder. "Look, Shampoo, l-let's go back to your place...m-maybe your grandmother c-can..." With that, he took off running, leaping over the property wall. "Akane, call th' ol' ghoul!" he cried as he vanished. "An' don't follow us, okay? I...I got this...under control..."

"Ranma..."

Ten seconds later, Akane was out the gate and running after them.

* * *

On a rooftop three blocks away, Ranma stopped short, turning to face the agile catgirl, who was crouched low, snarling. "Okay, what th' hell's goin' on here? What happened t'you, an' how th' _HELL_ d'you know about th' crystal?"

"Oh, that would be my doing," a cold, clear female voice said in an amused tone. An oval-shaped, pearly pink mirror appeared in midair above Shampoo, and a white-masked woman descended nimbly out of it. She reached down and stroked Shampoo's ears. "You see, your friend here is now my pet. I've been watching you, Saotome Ranma, and your fear of cats is quite...amusing. And beneficial."

"Who th' hell are **YOU?** What did you do t' Shampoo?"

The masked woman laughed coldly. "My name is Isis. You and your other little friend did quite a thorough number on Orpheus; Lord Thanatos was MOST displeased. I'm afraid I had to eliminate him..."

"Orpheus...? That purple freak with the sword?"

"Mmm, yes." Isis shrugged. "He was weak and pathetic, in any case. Now, are you going to be a good little boy and give me the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou?"

"Not on your life, lady," Ranma snarled. "Now, put Shampoo back like you found her, or there's gonna be trouble."

Isis laughed again. "Oh, there most certainly is," she said. She pulled a golden theater mask from beneath her poncho; it was featureless except for the eyeholes and the Roman numeral "I" engraved on the forehead. "Now, I'll show you what happens to those who stand in our way." She placed the mask on Shampoo's face; it began to glow, then sank into her skin. She stiffened and began to change; her clothes burst into shreds, and bristling purple fur covered her nude body. Her hands and feet transformed into huge, lion-like paws, ending in massive, razor-sharp black claws. Her back arched and she let out a terrifying roar as her violet hair grew longer and wilder; the ears on top of her head now matched the fur on her body. Her eyes narrowed in rage as her entire face changed, becoming more feline, with twitching whiskers and enormous, saber-like fangs.

Ranma trembled violently. "Buh-buh-buh-BIG c-c-c-c-"

Isis laughed. "Have fun, you two." She disappeared into her mirror, which faded from existence.

The transformed Shampoo lunged, and Ranma ran for his life.

* * *

For the second time in as many days, Mizuno Ami found herself leaving the train station in Nerima-ku, headed for the Fuurinkan district. Earlier that morning, she had relayed Ranma's message to the other Senshi; she had spent most of the day trying to get something, _anything_ , productive done, but between the grief over Usagi's death and the gnawing worry about the new enemy, by lunchtime she had given up studying or even casual reading as a bad job.

She had decided to go for a walk after lunch; she felt the fresh air might help clear her mind. Somewhere along the way, she'd found herself on a train; now, she was checking the address Ranma had given them and consulting the Mercury Computer's map.

Suddenly, an ear-splitting scream rent the air. Looking wildly around for the source, she saw Ranma dashing across the rooftops in a mad panic. Hot on his heels was a savage-looking purple catgirl monster.

Recalling Ranma's reaction to Luna and Artemis the day before, Ami paled. "This is bad." She ducked into a narrow alley and pulled out her henshin wand.

 **"MERCURY STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!"**

* * *

All reason had fled Saotome Ranma. His mind was completely seized with panic. Although the Neko-ken hadn't awakened yet, it was only a matter of time...

Only a matter of time until that horrifying beast right behind him caught up to him and ripped his throat out and took the crystal and he failed Usagi for a second time...

He skidded to a halt, his eyes narrowed. _"No."_

He turned to face Shampoo. He was still trembling, but he glared at her and held his ground. "I'm sorry you got dragged inta all this, Shampoo, but this has gotta stop. I ain't handin' over th' crystal. If...If I gotta beatcha up...maybe th' ol' ghoul can fix whatever that bitch did t'ya, I dunno, but..."

 **"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"**

A wave of freezing cold water broke over Ranma and Shampoo; the latter yowled and hissed angrily as she skittered off the roof, landing on all fours on the street below and bristling with rage, while the former spluttered as she turned to face the source of the unexpected deluge. "Geez, Ami! Watch where th' heck you're aimin'!"

"Gomen ne, Ranma-kun," Sailor Mercury said apologetically as she landed beside the dripping redhead. "I don't know what threw my aim off like that. But you're okay, right? Then you'd better—"

"Yeah yeah, I know. **MOON SPIRIT POWER, MAKE-UP!** "

Two Senshi leapt down into the street, ready for battle. The wet, angry catgirl faced them, fangs bared. Sailor Moon shuddered.

"Are you sure you can fight this thing, Ranma-kun?" Mercury asked quietly.

Sailor Moon nodded shakily. "Y-yeah. I gotta. She's after th' crystal. I ain't gonna fail Usagi." She paused. "Listen...that thing...useta be human. Useta be...well, kinda-sorta a friend'a mine."

Mercury groaned. "Oh god, not this again."

"Huh?"

"In the past, we've dealt with enemies who turned ordinary humans into monsters," Mercury explained.

"Oh." Sailor Moon paused. "Can we fix this? I mean, can we change her back? Cuz I kinda don't wanna kill 'er..."

"Most of the time, this is reversible," Mercury replied. "You'll need to use the Ginzuishou to do it, and I recommend wearing her down first. It should be easier to heal her if she's too weak to resist."

"So beat th' crap outta her, then do a thing with th' crystal t' put 'er back t' normal?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Basically, yes," Mercury nodded.

"Can do!" Sailor Moon said with a confident nod. At that precise moment, Shampoo leapt at the two of them, growling.

* * *

Akane had quickly lost track of Ranma and Shampoo. Her mind whirled as she dashed through the streets.

Regardless of what Ranma might constantly say about her, she wasn't stupid. And Ranma was an exceptionally bad liar. When Shampoo had demanded a crystal, Ranma had known _exactly_ what she was talking about. And the look in his eyes at that moment...was deadly serious.

Had Ranma somehow stolen some Amazon artifact? Did Shampoo find some kind of new cure for Jusenkyo, but it went horribly wrong? The more she tried to piece it together, the less it made sense, but it was obvious Ranma was hiding something.

She rounded a corner, onto a road that led to the high school, and paused as she heard voices.

"On your left! Look out!"

"GAH! That was close!"

"Would it help if you can't see what you're fighting?"

"It...it might...yeah..."

 **"SHABON SPRAY!"**

And before Akane could get close enough to see what was going on, a thick, chilly fog blanketed the entire area.

* * *

"Thanks," Sailor Moon said as she stood in the heart of the fog, listening intently for any indication of her opponent.

"She's three meters to your left. Looks like she's confused."

"You can see through fog?" Sailor Moon asked.

"My visor lets me track heat signatures even in conditions such as this," Sailor Mercury replied.

"Oh. Cool."

"...she's coming right at us! She must have heard our voices! Brace yourself!"

This time, Sailor Moon was ready. She smirked. "Sorry about this, Shampoo... **KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!** "

She felt her fists strike furry flesh, and heard a yowl of pain as Shampoo was knocked flying into the fog. She barely had time to recover from her attack, however, before she was tackled. Claws dug into her shoulder; she fought down a shudder and tried to focus on what she was doing. She brought her knee up viciously; it didn't strike anything vital, but it gave her the leverage to push out from underneath Shampoo. Springing up with the palms of her hands, she executed a graceful double kick to the transformed Amazon's spine. Shampoo screeched; her head snapped around sharply, and she tried to bite Sailor Moon's leg off. Her attempt was thwarted by Mercury, who ran up and kicked her in the side of the head with enough force to send her flying.

"Nice kick," Sailor Moon said as she recovered, clutching at her bleeding shoulder and grimacing.

"Thanks," Mercury said. "The fog's starting to thin..."

"I think we can finish this before that's a problem," Sailor Moon replied.

Suddenly, a searing hot firebolt passed between them. Mercury let out an alarmed yelp as she jumped clear into the fog.

"...okay, maaaaaaybe not," Sailor Moon amended, sweatdropping as Shampoo stalked toward them, golden eyes blazing with fury.

* * *

The fog was beginning to clear; Akane could make out three silhouettes engaged in combat. Two of them were girls and appeared to be wearing scandalously short skirts; one of them sported a familiar pigtail. The third silhouette looked like some kind of enormous, deadly cat.

 _*Is...is that Shampoo?*_ Akane wondered. _*And...that...*_ She frowned. _*No, there's no way that's Ranma. He wouldn't be caught dead wearing a skirt...well, most of the time...and anyway, there's no possible way he could be fighting a giant cat!*_

She held her ground as the fog thinned, tense, praying that she would have answers soon.

* * *

Shampoo reared her head back and made a sick, hacking noise. "Ugh, is she gonna cough up a hairball?" Sailor Moon wondered.

The catgirl's head snapped forward, and she unleashed a second fireball, which Mercury intercepted with a swift attack.

"Hoookay, she can cough up _FLAMING_ hairballs," Sailor Moon said, turning green.

"So it would seem," Mercury said, sweatdropping.

"That's...one'a th' nastiest things I ever seen," Sailor Moon replied as the two Senshi dodged a third flaming hairball.

"I've seen worse," Mercury replied. "But I'd rather not talk about it."

"Good. **INCOMING!** "

Shampoo leapt at the two Senshi, claws outstretched...

A large chunk of concrete sailed like a missile, hitting the catgirl in the side of the head and knocking her to the ground, stunned. Sailor Moon blinked, and was about to turn to see who had thrown it...

 **"NOW, SAILOR MOON!"** Mercury cried.

"Aa...right!" Sailor Moon frowned in thought. "Now, how'm I s'pos'ta..."

Her brooch split open, shedding the brilliant light of the Ginzuishou. "I got it!" she cried. She brought her hands together in front of the crystal, forming a circle with her fingertips in the same manner her bizarre English teacher was known to do.

 _ **"MOON SHADOW ILLUMINATION!"**_

A brilliant beam of silver light exploded from the Ginzuishou, focused by Sailor Moon's hands; it struck Shampoo, whose back arched as she hissed and screeched. A smoky silhouette rose out of her body, screaming as it dissipated. When the light faded, Shampoo was left lying in the street, human again and completely naked save for the golden theater mask on her face. It fell unceremoniously to the ground and shattered, the pieces fading into nothingness.

Sailor Moon sighed. "Yokatta." She then turned to look at the source of the intervention, and her eyes widened. "Oh crap."

Tendou Akane walked up to the three of them. "...Ranma?" she asked, staring at the red-haired Senshi.

"Huh? Ranma? Who's that?" Sailor Moon asked. "I'm the pretty sailor-suited soldier, Sailor Moon."

"Uh- _huh_ ," Akane said, eyes narrowed.

"And I'm Sailor Mercury," Mercury added, stepping up beside her. "We appreciate your assistance. This one was a dangerous opponent."

Akane bowed. "It was no problem." She frowned as she studied Sailor Moon intently. The redhead turned away, looking nervous.

"So, um, this girl...do you know her?" Sailor Mercury asked.

Akane nodded. "Hai."

"Then would you please take her home? She has been through quite an ordeal."

"Sure, okay," Akane said. She heaved the unconscious Amazon over her shoulder in a fireman's carry, cast one dubious glance back at the two Senshi, and ran off in the direction of the Nekohanten.

Sailor Moon collapsed bonelessly to the ground. "She knows," she moaned. "Oh man, she _knows_. She knows and I am so DEAD..."

"I don't think it will be a problem," Mercury said. "She will dismiss your similarity to the Ranma she knows as a coincidence, and forget all about it."

Sailor Moon shook her head. "I hope you're ri..." She laughed. "Th' heck'm I worried about? This is _Akane_ I'm talkin' about. She's the dumbest girl in th' whole world. She can't even figure out P-chan an' she's practically seen 'im change right in front of 'er, there's no way she'll figure this one out..." At Mercury's confused and reproachful expression, she added, "Sorry...long story." She sighed. "Thanks, by the way. You showed up just in time."

Mercury nodded. "I'm just glad I was in the area," she said. She jerked her head toward an alley, and the two Senshi fled to change back to normal.

* * *

An hour later, Akane returned home. She'd been trying to figure out why the hell Ranma had been parading around in a sailor costume, even as she tried to figure out what had gotten into Shampoo. _*Something's not right about all this...it doesn't seem like the usual craziness Ranma gets mixed up in. And that Sailor Mercury...who was_ that _?*_

"Tadaima," she called as she stepped out of her shoes.

"Okaeri nasai," Kasumi greeted. "Ranma-kun is out in the dojo with a new student."

"A student?" Akane asked, perking up. She headed out to the dojo, and found Ranma demonstrating a kata to a girl with short, wavy blue-tinted hair. The girl had shaky form, but she was doing her best to mirror Ranma's movements.

"I...took Shampoo home..." Akane watched the blue-haired girl carefully as she spoke.

"Really? How is she? She's not still all psycho, is she? Well, more psycho than usual."

"She's...she's fine," Akane said. "She's fine. Her great-granny is taking care of her now."

"That's good." Ranma straightened. "Anyway, meet our first new student," he said.

The blue-haired girl bowed. "Mizuno Ami. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

Akane returned her bow. "Welcome to the Tendou Dojo, Mizuno-san. I'm Akane." She smiled. "Would you like to be friends?" _*...Sailor Mercury?*_

* * *

Kunou Tatewaki was immersed in his daily contemplation of his two great loves when he was rudely interrupted by his minuscule, cowardly shinobi servant. "Tatewaki-dono," Sasuke said nervously, "A visitor for you."

"Could it be? Has the beautious Tendou Akane chosen to illuminate the halls of this ancestral manse with her radiance? Or perhaps the spirited pigtailed girl, her hair as red as passion itself..."

"You _still_ rant about girls all the time?" a male voice asked incredulously.

Tatewaki looked sharply up at the familiar voice, and his eyes widened. He stood and bowed. "Senpai. It has been too long."

Chiba Mamoru leaned against the door frame, arms folded. "I need a favor," he said. "My skills are pretty rusty, and there's...a matter I need to settle with a certain individual."

Tatewaki stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So, you have an honor debt to settle, and you have come to the Blue Thunder of Fuurinkan High for training?"

"More or less."

Tatewaki nodded, swinging his bokuto in a wide arc. "Then train you I shall."

* * *

 _Ranma 1/2 is the intellectual property of Takahashi Rumiko. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is the intellectual property of Takeuchi Naoko. Shin Megami Tensei is the intellectual property of Atlus. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged._


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes:**

Butter.

* * *

 **CHIKAN SENSHI SAILORMOON**

 _by Mythril Moth_

 **Chapter Seven**

 _"The Target Is Hino Rei! Deadly Yatagarasu"_

Ami mopped sweat from her brow and gratefully gulped down the glass of ice water Akane handed her. "That was...more of a workout than I expected," she admitted.

"You still gotta do some cooldown exercises, but rest a minute first," Ranma said.

"You're in pretty good shape," Akane commented. "You obviously do more than just P.E. at school. What do you normally do for exercise?" _*Fight giant cat monsters while wearing a sailor suit?*_

"Swimming," Ami said. "I love to swim."

"That's good exercise," Ranma commented.

Ami scrubbed at her neck with her towel. "I guess I need to get proper training clothes," she said, looking down at her sweat-plastered T-shirt and shorts. "By the way, when are your normal beginner classes scheduled?"

"Anou..." Ranma and Akane glanced at one another.

Akane coughed. "Actually, uh...right now, you're our only student."

Ami blinked.

"Otousan...stopped teaching after Kaasan died," Akane explained.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Akane shrugged. "It was a long time ago. Actually, Otousan wants me to carry on the Tendou Dojo."

"Wants **US** t' carry on th' dojo, y'mean," Ranma said. "Uh...I mean...well, y'know, that's what him an' Oyaji want."

"Yes, that's right, it's our fathers who want that," Akane agreed, face red.

Ami looked back and forth between the two of them. "Are you saying...an arranged marriage?"

"Somethin' like that, yeah," Ranma said, looking at anything but Akane.

"Sou ka." Ami smiled. "Mako-chan's going to be very disappointed. She thinks you're cute."

Ranma grimaced. "An' that's th' _last_ thing I need, more o' **THAT** ," he muttered.

"Who's 'Mako-chan'?" Akane asked, glaring suspiciously at Ranma.

"Ami's friend, an' don't start THIS crap again," Ranma said.

At Ami's confused expression, Akane added, "There are quite a few girls interested in Ranma. I think this pervert actually _enjoys_ the attention."

"Hey, for the hundred _THOUSANDTH_ time, I. _Ain't_. No. **Pervert!** " Ranma shouted.

Ami sweatdropped. "Anou..."

Akane looked sheepish. "Sorry, we shouldn't carry on like this in front of a student. It isn't appropriate."

"Yeah...sorry 'bout that, Ami."

Ami shook her head. "I'm used to being around people who embarrass themselves by bickering about ridiculous things," she said with a completely guileless smile worthy of Kasumi.

The two of them stared at her.

Ami coughed. "So, anyway, about a regular schedule for me and the others?"

"Oh, uh...yeah. Just uh...come in anytime, we're pretty flexible here," Ranma said. "Just be sure t' call first."

Ami nodded. "Alright."

"Say, would you like to stay for dinner?" Akane asked. "It _is_ getting rather late..." _*And maybe I can get you to slip up and say something that'll help me figure out what the heck's going on around here...*_

"Oh, I wouldn't want to be a bother..."

"Nah, Kasumi loves havin' more people t' cook for," Ranma said. "It's no problem, trust me."

Ami thought about what awaited her back at home: a cold sandwich and tea, and an empty apartment.

"Well...if you insist," she said, smiling.

* * *

"Well, Isis? Explain yourself."

Isis knelt before Thanatos' throne, head bowed subserviently. "My Lord," she said, "I have come to the conclusion that recovering the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou may prove...somewhat more difficult than expected."

Thanatos frowned. "You are aware that failure displeases me, and my punishments for failure are..."

"Yes, Lord Thanatos," Isis said. "I implore you to allow me time to fully determine the strengths and vulnerabilities of this new Sailor Moon. Saotome Ranma is...dangerous." She paused. "I thought I had found a perfect weakness to exploit, and yet somehow, he overcame that weakness...he is not to be underestimated."

Thanatos folded his hands underneath his chin. "And the other Senshi?"

"So far, I have only observed Sailor Mercury in action," Isis said. "I have yet to initiate a confrontation with any of the other Senshi."

"Mizuno Ami is a negligible factor," Thanatos said dismissively. "She has limited capabilities..."

"Do not dismiss her so easily, my Lord," Isis said. "She has considerable offensive ability, and her analytical and support capabilities make her a formidable foe."

Thanatos stroked his beard, deep in contemplation. "I had never considered Sailor Mercury to be more than a minor nuisance in the past..." he muttered. "Only Tsukino Usagi and Hino Rei posed any significant threat... _especially_ Hino Rei."

"Apologies, my Lord, but...I believe things are not the same now as they were before."

"Perhaps...perhaps," Thanatos admitted. He sighed. "Very well. Continue as you see fit, for now. You are one of my most loyal and competent followers; I defer to your judgement. **BUT!** " His cold green eyes flashed a warning. "I suggest you obtain the Ginzuishou as swiftly as possible. My patience has its limits."

Isis saluted. "Of course, my Lord."

"One other thing..."

"Yes, Lord Thanatos?"

"Hino Rei. Sailor Mars. Dispose of her."

"As you wish, my Lord."

As she vanished, Thanatos leaned back in his throne, fingertips steepled. "Sailor Mars...I look forward to seeing your broken body..."

His laughter echoed in the black haze that filled his throne room.

* * *

"Thank you very much," Ami said as she stepped into her shoes at the genkan. "Dinner was excellent, and I appreciate your inviting me." She bowed.

"Of course, Ami-chan," Kasumi said, smiling and returning the bow. "You're welcome anytime."

Ranma walked with Ami to the train station. "You weren't kidding about Kasumi-san's cooking," Ami said. "It's been quite some time since I ate that much at one meal. I feel like I was a bit of a glutton..."

"You didn't eat THAT much, Ami," Ranma chuckled.

"And Kasumi-san is very polite and personable as well," Ami said. "I like her."

"Yeah, me too."

Ami frowned. "I get the feeling Nabiki-san didn't care much for me."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "It ain't you. She's ticked at me 'cuz I'm teachin' you for free."

Ami paled. "Oh god. I'm sorry. I really should—"

"Ignore her," Ranma said firmly. "That's what you really should do. I'm trainin' you an' th' others 'cuz I wanna, an' 'cuz y'need it bad. Nabiki's just greedy, is all."

"But still...it IS a martial arts school, and if Tendou-san isn't taking students anymore, then..."

"Eh, I wouldn't feel right about takin' money for trainin' right now, anyway," Ranma said with a shrug. "I ain't never taught nobody th' Art before. I reckon I'm gonna be learnin' from our sessions, just like you an' th' other Senshi." He paused. "By th' way, I found out some stuff about th' enemy."

"You did?" Ami asked. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Beeeeecause we weren't exactly in th' safest place t' talk about that?" Ranma replied.

"Oh. Of course."

"Anyway, th' bitch that turned Shampoo into that...monster," he suppressed a shudder, "calls herself Isis. She's as freaky as th' bastard that killed Usagi. His name was Orpheus, by the way, an' Isis killed him after Ryouga beat th' crap outta him. So he's really dead this time. I think."

"And this...Isis...did she say anything else?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. They're workin' for some jackass called Thanatos."

"Thanatos..." Ami repeated, brow furrowed.

"Heard of 'im?"

Ami shook her head. "No."

"One other thing," Ranma said apprehensively, "I'm pretty sure they're spyin' on us. Or me at least. Isis knew my name, knew I had th' crystal, knew about my cat problem..."

Ami's eyes widened. "That's...troubling," she said. "None of our enemies in the past have been able to target us in our everyday lives."

Ranma shrugged. "It's pretty much par for the course for me. Not that I _like_ th' idea o' bein' spied on, mind."

"So...she turned your friend into a cat monster specifically because she thought it was your greatest weakness?"

"It IS my greatest weakness, an' you got **no** idea how bad it really is," Ranma replied.

Ami frowned. "Then we absolutely must conquer your fear of cats once and for all. Besides, you need to be able to tell Luna and Artemis everything you just told me, and that phone thing we did at the shrine is ridiculous."

Ranma nodded. "Y-yeah," he said shakily. "It's way past time I got rid'a th' cat thing. I just...got no idea how."

"Can you come over to Rei's place tomorrow?" Ami asked.

"Sure."

* * *

The angry cawing of two ravens irritated Isis as she emerged from her mirror just inside the courtyard of Hikawa Shrine at sunrise. "Infuriating birds," she muttered, drawing her angel-wing swords. "I should..."

She paused, looking up at the rising sun.

"...no. Wait. I have a better idea."

As the two ravens circled her, flapping and cawing madly, Isis withdrew a card from her poncho. She flipped it around to display an image of a three-legged crow.

 _"Arise... **YATAGARASU!** "_

The image on the card came to life and split in two; two insubstantial, shadowy three-legged crows flapped out of the card, infusing themselves into the two birds, whose eyes turned golden and glowed malevolently in the dim morning light. Each raven grew a third leg and became slightly larger.

Isis chuckled. "The one known as Hino Rei. Kill her." With that, she disappeared into her mirror, which vanished.

* * *

"Rei-chan? Your birds are quite...agitated this morning."

Rei frowned. "Yeah, you're right, Jiichan. I wonder what..."

Her phone rang. "Ugh, bad timing." She withdrew it from her robes. "Moshi-moshi?"

 _/Rei-chan, it's Ami. We need to have a meeting at the shrine this morning. I believe Ranma-kun is already on his way. We have new information about the enemy./_

Rei's eyes widened. "Really?" She peered through the open door, at where her grandfather was standing at the base of a tree, attempting to coax the two crows roosted in it down. They were cawing raucously at him, eyes shining in the early morning sunlight. "Well, tell everyone to come as soon as they can. I might have a little problem to take care of first, though."

 _/What's wrong?/_

"I'm not sure," Rei admitted. "Phobos and Deimos are going completely crazy."

 _/Your crows?/_

"Hai." Rei winced as one of the birds divebombed her grandfather, pecking him viciously on his bald head. "Gomen ne, Ami-chan, I need to go help Jiichan. I'll leave the rest to you."

Pocketing her phone, she raced outside. "Phobos! Deimos! What are you doing?!"

The birds' heads snapped sharply around at her voice. They let out twin avian cries of fury and shot at her in a flurry of black feathers and all-too-sharp beaks.

* * *

At half past nine, Ranma arrived at the Hikawa Shrine...and walked in on a scene of utter chaos.

Rei and her grandfather were being chased around the grounds by two large, angry crows. The former was pleading with the birds to behave; the latter was swatting at them with a broom, which was only agitating them further.

"Rei! Th' hell's goin' on here?" Ranma called as he dashed over, leaping into the air and swatting one of the birds to the ground.

"Don't hurt them!" Rei cried. "These crows...I've been caring for them since I was little! They're...they're not normally like this!"

"They've become as pestilent as the rest of the crows in Tokyo!" the old priest shouted, flailing angrily with his broom.

Ranma leapt up and tackled one of the birds, spinning as he descended so he'd take the brunt of the fall, while he struggled to hold the thrashing, cawing bird still. "So since when do crows have three legs?" he wondered.

 _"What?"_ Rei asked. She stared at the bird Ranma had captured, and her eyes widened. "What...what the _hell?!_ "

The elder Hino stared. "That bird...that bird is possessed!" With that, he ran off. "Rei-chan, hold them at bay! I'll prepare a banishing ritual!" he called as he left.

The crow Ranma had captured escaped, flew after the old man, and divebombed him, sending him flying into a tree. He slid to the ground, unconscious.

"Jiichan!" Rei cried. "This has gone far enough!" She produced several ofuda from her sleeves and began forming hand seals. _"Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen._ _ **AKURYOU TAISAN!**_ _"_ She threw the ofuda at the two circling, cawing birds. The wards sparked and smoked...and burst into flame, burning away to ash.

"Feeble," a woman's voice called. Cold laughter rang out.

"I know that voice," Ranma said, tensing warily.

A pink mirror appeared in midair, disgorging Isis. The two ravens flapped over to their new mistress, hovering in the air beside her. "Ah, so you are here as well, Saotome Ranma. This shall make things easier for me...I can kill two birds with...well...with two birds," she finished with a chuckle.

Ranma grimaced. "Th' hell'd you do t' those birds, Isis?"

"Why don't I show you?" Isis asked. She produced two fiery copper theater masks from her poncho, each featureless save for the eyeholes and the Roman numeral "XIX" engraved on the forehead. She placed one against the breast of each raven; the masks flared with brilliant light, then dissolved into the birds' feathers. The two birds tripled in size; their eyes turned blood red, their beaks became longer, sharper, and pronouncedly hooked, and thick wire collars with several magatama attached to them formed around their throats.

"Kill Saotome quickly, and take the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou," she instructed. "The girl, I want you to kill slowly. Her mangled body will make the perfect prize for my Lord." She took a step back and vanished into her mirror, which faded from view.

The birds cawed malevolently at the two teens.

Ranma and Rei glanced at one another and nodded. Rei pulled out her henshin wand; Ranma pulled a bottle of water out of his pocket. After he splashed himself, the two Senshi transformed and engaged their feathery foes in combat.

* * *

"So, Senpai," Kunou Tatewaki said as he assumed a stance across from Mamoru; both were dressed in hakama and uwagi and wielding shinai. "What manner of stain has been wrought upon your honor, that you seek once again to take sword in hand? I had truly never expected to meet you again in this life."

"My girlfriend was murdered," Mamoru said simply, tersely.

Tatewaki's eyes widened. "Unforgiveable!"

"Yes. It is something I can _never_ forgive." Mamoru's eyes were full of pain and rage.

"Then on my honor, on the very name of the noble house of Kunou, I swear that I will see to it you attain your righteous vengeance."

The two bowed, then began to spar.

"Tell me," Tatewaki said as he pressed an attack which drove Mamoru across the training hall, shinai rattling in his grip as he desperately guarded, "of the love you have lost, and of the dishonorable fiend who has stolen her from you."

"I wasn't there when it happened," Mamoru said roughly. "Usako...she was with her friends, right here in Fuurinkan-cho."

Tatewaki paused in his assault. "This...did it occur two days ago, in the afternoon?"

"That's right," Mamoru nodded.

"News of murder most foul did indeed reach mine ears," Tatewaki nodded thoughtfully. "Perchance was an ignoble cur by the name of Saotome Ranma involved at all?"

"Hai. He...he tried to protect her. He escorted her friends home, and was there when...when they told me what happened." His voice became thick and hoarse.

"So, Saotome has yet again extended his influence and expanded his wretched harem to sate his vile lusts," Tatewaki said, scowling.

"...Excuse me?" Mamoru asked.

"Tis folly enough that the brigand has ensorcelled the two most joyous loves of my life, as well as the attentions of no fewer than three other nubile maidens—my own wretched sister among them! But even _this_ is not enough to satisfy him?!"

Mamoru stared at him. "I think you're grossly mistaken," he said. "I met Ranma-kun. He seemed decent enough to me. He was upset that he failed to protect Usako, but he risked his life to protect the others, and as I hear it, defeated her killer."

"Doubtless the murderer was a minion of Saotome himself, and was dispatched before he could expose the true fiend in this infamy," Tatewaki retorted.

"...Kunou-kun?" Mamoru asked.

"Hai, Senpai?"

"When exactly did you go insane?"

"Insane?" Tatewaki asked, tilting his head. "My sanity has not failed me, Senpai. Rest assured, I alone see the truth of the evils perpetrated by Saotome..."

Mamoru heard a cough from behind him, and turned. His gaze landed on the diminuitive ninja, Sasuke, who whispered, "One of the two girls Tatewaki-dono is infatuated with is betrothed to Saotome Ranma, and the other girl _IS_ Saotome Ranma. Neither Tatewaki-dono nor Kodachi-hime have quite managed to realize that the man named Saotome Ranma and the girl who shares the same name are the same person."

Mamoru glanced at Tatewaki, who was still ranting in the middle of the room and had entirely failed to notice this exchange. "Sou ka," he whispered. "And how exactly did you know I'm already aware of Ranma-kun's curse?"

"You've met him," Sasuke said simply. "It's almost impossible to _not_ find out about it."

Mamoru let out a snort of laughter.

"If you want him to stop ranting and keep training you, it's best just to go along with his delusions," Sasuke whispered. "Otherwise this will go on until well past sunset. And you really _don't_ want to be here when Kodachi-hime returns."

Mamoru shuddered. He had only had the misfortune to meet Tatewaki's younger sister once. Once was quite enough. "Arigatou," he whispered to the ninja, who promptly vanished.

Sighing, Mamoru shouldered his shinai and walked back to the center of the room. "Kunou-kun," he called sharply.

"Aa...pardon me, Senpai," Tatewaki said, nodding and resuming his place across from Mamoru. "The mere mention of Saotome's name is enough to set my blood aflame with righteous fury."

"So I'd noticed," Mamoru said dryly. "Well, if it does so happen that Saotome Ranma is responsible for Usako's death, rest assured, I will kill him myself."

"Then you will need the full benefit of all of my unfathomable skills, to overcome his treachery," Tatewaki said, nodding. "Let us resume."

 _*If he wasn't the best swordsman I know...*_ Mamoru returned the nod, mouth tightened grimly, and soon he found himself once more on the defensive.

* * *

"This...ain't goin' so good," Sailor Moon said, grimacing. She was crouched in a tree; her arms and legs were covered in scratches from the birds' beaks and claws.

"We...can't stop...now," Sailor Mars heaved. She pressed her index fingers together and closed her eyes. **"FIRE...SOUL!"** She unleashed a spiralling flame attack at the nearest crow.

It opened its beak and issued a sharp gust of wind, which turned the fireball away. It slammed into the base of the tree where Sailor Moon was resting, gouging out a chunk of smoldering bark.

"Kuso...!" Sailor Moon hissed. "That stupid wind attack's gotta go!"

"I don't see any way of getting around it," Mars replied, leaping to the side as the crow followed through with a vicious diving peck.

"Man...I never thought I'd be losin' a fight t' two freakin' crows," Sailor Moon muttered.

"We're... _not_...losing!" Mars replied between pants as she dodged the birds, which were now double-teaming her. "We're just...not... _winning!_ "

Sailor Moon snorted. "Tell me about it." She removed her tiara, which expanded into a shining disc of light. "Yo, birdbrains! Got somethin' shiny for ya! **MOON TIARA ACTION!** "

She threw the tiara, which glided gracefully through the air toward another tree; the two crows chased after it, cawing. At the last possible second, Sailor Moon made a gesture with her hand; the tiara angled sharply upwards and skimmed along the trunk of the tree. The two crows were less agile, and slammed forcefully into the trunk.

The tiara arced back around and smacked them both in the back of the head, stunning them, before returning to its owner.

"Y'had enough?" Sailor Moon asked as she returned the tiara to her brow. Her brooch split open, shedding the brilliant light of the Ginzuishou. She brought her hands together in front of the crystal, forming a circle with her fingertips.

 _ **"MOON SHADOW ILLUMINATION!"**_

A brilliant beam of silver light exploded from the Ginzuishou, focused by Sailor Moon's hands; it struck the crows, who beat their wings against the ground and screeched. Smoky silhouettes rose out of their bodies, screaming as they dissipated. When the light faded, Rei's crows lay blissfully unconscious on the ground, returned to normal. The copper theater masks fell unceremoniously to the ground and shattered, the pieces fading into nothingness.

Mars heaved a weary sigh. "Thank you," she said.

 _"I will_ _ **NOT**_ _fail Lord Thanatos!"_ Isis' voice suddenly screeched. She appeared directly above and behind Sailor Mars, swords raised to strike.

"Rei! Look out!" Sailor Moon cried. She was already on the move, but she knew she'd never get there in time...she was just too far away...

The serrated angel-wing blades descended, on a trajectory to cleave Sailor Mars' head from her shoulders...

 _"Yamero,"_ a soft male voice said.

A silver-and-black blade intercepted Isis' swords. Sailor Mars yelped as she rolled clear, rising to her feet and turning to face her would-be assassin and her rescuer.

Isis' masked face turned toward the interloper. "Who dares...?"

She was forced to defend herself as the new arrival dashed toward her, weapon spinning; she barely parried a blow which would have cleaved her in two, then was driven back to slam into the boundary wall by a jolt of electricity which erupted from her opponent's hand. She slid to the ground, stunned.

The interloper stalked toward her, weapon raised to strike a killing blow. " _Sokomade_ ," he intoned coldly.

A pink mirror formed underneath Isis, and she sank into it; it quickly faded from existence.

 _"Che,"_ the warrior spat. He turned and strode toward the two Senshi, who were staring warily at him. _"Oi, kimi. Daijoubu ka?"_

 _"H-hai...arigatou,"_ Mars said. "Who...are you...?"

The man was tall, with a slender yet powerful build. He wore tight black leather pants and knee-length black boots with steel soles, a black metal mesh shirt, and a black longcoat which flapped open around his legs; seven unbuckled leather belts with brass buckles extended along the open coat from calf to groin. He wore black fingerless gloves; in his right hand he held a massive black halberd with a wickedly sharp, meter-long, silver-edged blade.

Eyes that were the same cold steel color as his short hair studied them from behind the lenses of glasses with angular black frames. _"Izanagi,"_ he said in his soft, rough voice, before turning and vaulting the boundary wall.

The two Senshi stared after him, then turned to one another.

"Ho-kay, that was weird," Sailor Moon said.

"You get used to it," Mars replied.

* * *

 _Ranma 1/2 is the intellectual property of Takahashi Rumiko. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is the intellectual property of Takeuchi Naoko. Shin Megami Tensei is the intellectual property of Atlus. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged._


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes:**

Parkaaaaaaaaay!

Also, with this chapter, the story's caught up to where I left off. I can't promise when this will be updated with new content. I _can_ promise it isn't dead. It's just been in a coma for a very long time.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **CHIKAN SENSHI SAILORMOON**

 _by Mythril Moth_

 **Chapter Eight**

 _"Shadow Wrestling?! Arcana Power Make-Up!"_

"You have failed once more, Isis," Thanatos said, scowling.

Isis bowed her head low. "I offer no excuse for my failure," she said. "I merely ask your forgiveness."

"Hmph," a figure shrouded in the black fog snorted.

Thanatos' gaze drifted in the direction of the interruption. "I do not recall asking your opinion on the matter, Siegfried," he said.

"I don't recall caring," replied the man who emerged to stand beside Isis. He looked human enough; he was clad simply in studded leather armor which left his arms and legs bare, a matching leather helm, and sandals. A bastard sword hung sheathed at his hip, and a round shield hung from a harness on his back. His arms were folded, and he was frowning with disdain at Thanatos. "I have never, nor shall I ever, swear fealty to you, Thanatos."

Thanatos glowered at him. "It is unwise to anger me, Siegfried."

"As you say," Siegfried replied with a shrug. "I have no interest in you or your anger. The Sailor Senshi are my only concern. I will send my own warriors to deal with them."

"If you fail..."

"Then I fail," Siegfried said simply. "Warriors do not always win. This is a truth of war." He turned and disappeared into the haze.

"Arrogant, insufferable..." Thanatos growled.

"Ignore him, my Lord," Isis said. "Allow him to do as he pleases. Perhaps he will even prove himself useful."

"Perhaps..." Thanatos shrugged. "As for you..."

Isis tensed.

"You are dismissed."

Isis bowed more deeply. "Then until you call upon me again, my Lord," she said before disappearing into her mirror.

"Really, you _do_ rather let them walk all over you, Father," a voice said from the rear of Thanatos' dais.

"I only had Orpheus disposed of because he was a fool," Thanatos said. "I will not slaughter my followers simply because they anger me. It is the fear of annihilation that motivates them."

"Hmm, yes, they are easily manipulated."

A young girl with long, straight blond hair and bright blue eyes skipped merrily out from behind the throne. She stopped in front of Thanatos, turned, and curtsied. "Whenever shall I be allowed to play with these silly Sailor girls, Father?"

"Now, Alice," Thanatos said patiently, "there is no need to risk your safety in conflict with the Sailor Senshi."

Alice pouted. "I am **not** a helpless child, Father!"

"I know you're not, my dear," Thanatos replied. "But I would prefer not to send you to the human world unless all else fails."

Alice sighed. "But I want to _play_..."

"I know you do, Alice," Thanatos chuckled. "I know you do..."

* * *

Makoto, Ami, and Minako arrived at the shrine late in the morning; the latter two carried large wicker baskets. As they approached, they saw Ranma sweeping the steps. She looked up and waved at them. "Mornin'," she said.

"Ohayou," Ami called back. "Where's Rei-chan?"

"Takin' care'a her grampa," Ranma replied. "We got attacked by monster crows, an' he kinda got knocked out."

"Another attack?" Ami gasped.

"Boy, this new enemy just doesn't let up," Makoto said darkly.

"It was a little too close there for a second," Ranma said. "But we pulled through. An' I got a lot t' tell you girls."

She set aside her broom and walked up to the shrine with the others. They entered just as Rei was sliding the inner door to the sitting room closed. "Jiichan's going to be alright," she said. "I gave him some medicine that'll keep him asleep for a while."

"Was...was it that bad?" Ami asked, horrified.

Rei shook her head. "He took a hard knock on the head. He doesn't have a concussion, but he has a really nasty bump, and when he woke up, he had a killer headache. He'll be fine by morning."

"That's a relief," Makoto said. "What about you two?"

"Eh, we're okay. Those stupid birds did a number on us, an' that Isis bitch tried t' cut Rei's head off, but other than that..."

The others stared at her.

"And, we apparently have a new ally," Rei added.

"Yeah, what WAS up with that guy?" Ranma wondered. "Just who was he an' where th' heck did he come from?"

At the others' confused expressions, Ranma and Rei quickly related the events of the morning, concluding with Isis' attack and the intervention of the enigmatic Izanagi.

"Whoa," Minako said.

"A new ally, huh?" Makoto wondered. "I wonder if this is another Tsukikageno Knight thing..."

"I don't think so," Rei replied, shaking her head. "I mean, this Izanagi definitely wasn't Mamoru-san. I don't have a clue who he is or where he came from, I'm just glad he saved my neck."

"An' at least he's on our side," Ranma said. "But I don't think we should count on him showin' up every time we're in trouble. For all we know, he was just passin' through."

"Or maybe he only protects people at shrines," Makoto offered. "I mean, he's named himself after a god, and all..."

"I hadn't even considered that," Rei admitted. "I was too shaken up by everything else."

"In any case, we need to discuss what Ranma-kun learned yesterday," Ami said, "and then we need to get to work on another problem."

Ranma cast a wary glance at the two baskets sitting in the corner of the room and cringed. "A-heh...yeah...that."

* * *

"...Hibachan?"

"Oh, good, you're finally awake."

Shampoo slowly sat up in bed; a wet cloth fell from her forehead and landed on the comforter with a soft _*plap*_. "What happen?" she asked.

"That's what I'd very much like to know," Cologne said, puffing on her pipe. "Tendou Akane brought you home yesterday, naked and unconscious. At first I wondered if perhaps she was responsible for your condition, but she started going on about catgirls and sailors and...well, she had few useful answers, but at the very least she brought you home and helped put you to bed."

Shampoo pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. "Akane..." she said. "That right. I get text from Akane, say lay off Ranma...he just witness murder..."

"I thought he might have been there when that happened," Cologne said, sighing. "Given the way that block was utterly destroyed, I am not in the least surprised..."

"I...start to text Ranma, then..." Shampoo's brow furrowed in concentration. "Woman show up. Woman with mask. Do something to Shampoo. Last thing I remember."

Cologne frowned. "Hmm..."

"I think..." Shampoo hedged. "I think...I try kill Ranma. Not know why."

"This is disturbing," Cologne said. "I think I should speak to the son-in-law..."

* * *

The Senshi sat in silence, absorbing the details of Ranma's ordeal from the previous day.

"So, all we really know is our main enemy's name is Thanatos, someone named Isis is turning people and animals into monsters, and they're spying on us. Or, at least on Ranma-kun," Ami summed up.

" _AND_ they know about, and are after, the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou," Luna piped up, only her eyes visible through a gap in the lid of her basket.

Ranma's eyes flicked in her direction, and she suppressed a shudder. "Y-yeah," she said.

Makoto sighed. "Dammit...at the rate things are going, are we _ever_ gonna have time to mourn Usagi?"

The others bowed their heads. "I'm...still in denial," Rei admitted. "It's just...it's hard to accept she's really gone."

"Yeah," Minako agreed.

Ami looked around at her friends, and at Ranma, who sat in awkward silence, staring at her hands. "This...isn't what she would have wanted," she said softly. "She wouldn't want us to sit around moping. She'd...she'd want us to try to move on."

Rei sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, she would." She sniffled. "So...what now?"

"Didn't Ami-chan say something about working on Ranma-kun's cat problem?" Minako asked.

Ami nodded. "Hai. But I think we'll hold off on that for a little while. Before anything else, it would probably be a good idea if we all got to know Ranma-kun better."

A strange glint appeared in Makoto's eyes. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind getting to know Ranma better."

"Oi oi," Ranma said, sweatdropping.

Ami coughed. "I met Ranma-kun's **fiancee** and her sisters yesterday," she said, emphasizing the word 'fiancee', "and I would have spoken to his father, but his father was...well...a panda, so..."

Ranma groaned. "Oyaji's gotten way too useta his curse," she said. "He stays a panda more than he stays a man." She chuckled. "Though I gotta admit it's an improvement."

Rei blinked. "Wait. You're...engaged?" she asked.

"Aheh...yeah," Ranma admitted sheepishly. Makoto seemed to deflate slightly.

"Sugoi," Minako said, eyes wide. "Not even out of high school yet, and already you've found true love...!"

"I wouldn't call it 'true love'," Ranma muttered. "She's th' most violent, sexless, macho chick I know, she can't cook, she's a hammer in th' water, she calls me a pervert all th' time..."

"It's an arranged marriage," Ami supplied helpfully at the bewildered looks of the others. "To unite their families' martial arts schools."

"Wow, that's... _really_ old-fashioned," Rei said.

"So...you don't love her at all? Or even like her?" Minako asked, horrified.

Ranma's face turned slightly pink, and she looked away.

"I got the impression that they really do care for each other, they're just both..." Ami shook her head. "Akane-chan is nice enough, but, well..."

"Tsundere?" Makoto suggested.

"Hai."

Ranma pulled out her phone and called up a picture of several girls (including herself) at the beach, which she showed the others, pointing out girls and naming them. "That right next t'me is Akane, those're her sisters, that's Shampoo, that's Ucchan—you met her th' other day—"

 _"Whoa,"_ Makoto said. "She didn't look NEARLY **that** stacked when we met her."

"She binds her chest mosta th' time," Ranma said. "Kinda hard t'do at th' beach, though."

"Shampoo...this is the girl that turned into a monster and attacked you?" Minako asked.

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. She's Chinese. She's cute, but she's a real pest."

"Your fiancee's actually pretty cute," Makoto said.

Ranma sighed. "Yeah, I guess maybe a little."

"So that panda...that's your father?"

"Un. Like I said, he's better off as a panda mosta th' time."

"Your fiancee has a pet pig?"

"Ugh, P-chan. Just...don't even get me started on P-chan."

"You don't like pigs? But it's so cute..."

"That pig's really this guy Ryouga. He's cursed too. Akane doesn't realize it, so he pretends t'be her pet."

"And you...and you _allow_ that?"

"It's a long...story..." Ranma trailed off as he realized Luna and Artemis were sitting on the table, looking at his beach photo with the rest of the group. As he reviewed the conversation in his mind, he realized that since Makoto's comment about Akane, he'd actually been talking to the two cats. "Uhhh..."

"You said Shampoo-san's also cursed, right Ranma?" Ami asked.

"Huh? Uh, oh, yeah. She...turns into a..." He stared at Luna, breaking out into a nervous sweat.

"A cat?" Luna offered.

"Y-yeah," Ranma replied.

"Hmm..." Artemis rubbed his chin with a paw. "She cute?"

 _"Artemis!"_ Luna hissed, swiping at him with her claws. "Mou..."

The other girls laughed. Ranma, despite herself, joined in.

"Just how many cursed people do you **know** , anyway?" Minako asked. "I mean, it was weird enough finding out there was a boy who turns into a girl—ack, sorry, didn't mean to—"

"Nah, it's cool. I know I'm weird," Ranma said with a chuckle. "I've pretty much gotten useta that."

Minako coughed, flushing. "Anyway, so how many cursed people...?"

"A lot," Ranma said. "I've kinda lost count at this point. It seems like every single weirdo that falls inta one o' those springs ends up findin' me." She briefly explained her numerous romantic entanglements, rivalries, and other assorted persistant nuisances.

 _"Wooooow,"_ Minako breathed. The Senshi and the two cats were staring wide-eyed at Ranma by the time she was finished.

"You certainly lead an...interesting life," Rei commented. "No wonder you took this whole Sailor Senshi thing in stride."

"Heh, you girls ain't even a drop in th' bucket compared t' what I've seen," Ranma said, grinning. "An' I gotta admit, I'm glad I metcha. It sucks that it happened th' way it did, but...it's nice t' have friends who ain't always tryin' t' pull somethin' on me when my back's turned."

"We're glad we met you too, Ranma-kun," Ami said. "You've already helped us so much, and I'm sorry you had to get dragged into our business when you have so much going on in your own life, but...if anyone can help us defeat this Thanatos and avenge Usagi-chan, it's you."

"Yeah, with you on our side, this jackass won't know what hit him!" Makoto said. The others agreed wholeheartedly.

Ranma rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Heheh...thanks. I'll do my best."

Suddenly, the room became dark. Everyone gasped, looking around in alarm. "Is this...an attack?" Minako wondered.

"I hope not," Makoto said. The Senshi pulled out their henshin wands...

The locket containing the Ginzuishou floated serenely out of Ranma's shirt, opening on its own. The room was bathed in the brilliant silvery light of the Ginzuishou.

 _My friends._

The Senshi gasped. "Princess...Serenity's voice..." Luna whispered.

 _You have formed a bond of friendship with Saotome Ranma. I am relieved. I feared you might not accept him, and I am delighted to discover this is not the case._

"Of _course_ we accept Ranma-kun," Rei said, eyes full of tears. "You...you chose him."

 _That alone was not enough. Accepting that there was a new Sailor Moon was only the first step. Accepting Ranma for who he is, becoming friends with him, was the most important step._

The henshin wands of the Senshi floated out of their hands, hovering in the air.

 _Because you have forged a bond of friendship with Ranma, you will become stronger as a team..._

The four henshin wands began to glow, and changed into four cards, each bearing a picture of the individual Senshi, along with their planetary sigils, framed with a Roman numeral: II for Mercury, III for Mars, VII for Jupiter, and VI for Venus. Each floated back into the hands of their respective Senshi.

"What...?" Rei whispered.

"Is this...a new power?" Makoto wondered.

 _Yes, Sailor Jupiter. The four of you will now bear a new power, born from your acceptance of Saotome Ranma as a friend and fellow Senshi. The four of you now possess the power of Arcana Make-Up. As your friendship grows stronger, so will your new powers. This is my final gift to you, my dearest friends..._

 _Farewell..._

The locket closed over the crystal, its glow fading from the room. The normal lighting returned, and the locket hung loosely on the chain around Ranma's neck.

"Usagi...! Wait, don't—!" Rei pleaded, hand outstretched to the crystal, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Rei..." Minako said, shaking her head. She was also crying.

"Usagi..." Makoto said softly. "Even now, she's still with us..."

"And she's given you a new power," Luna said. "The power to stand beside Ranma, and protect the Ginzuishou..."

Everyone looked at Ranma, who swallowed thickly. "Uh..."

"GROUP HUG!" Minako suddenly announced, flinging herself at Ranma. The others, laughing, joined her.

Ranma broke out in a sweat. "Man, am I glad Akane ain't here t' see this," she chuckled weakly.

The happy mood was broken by a sudden, violent shaking of the earth.

* * *

Akane walked through the door of the Nekohanten. Seeing Shampoo's father minding the counter, she waved. "How's Shampoo?" she asked.

"She awake," the Chinese man said. "Grandmother say she get her strength back soon." He paused. "Thank you for bringing my daughter home."

"Of course," Akane replied. "Could...I see her? I need to talk to her..."

"I believe she has as many questions for you as you have for her, child," Cologne said as she pogoed downstairs into the empty dining area. "By all means, go up."

"Thank you," Akane said, bowing. She quickly headed up and knocked on the door to Shampoo's bedroom before entering. She saw the Chinese girl sitting up in bed, eating a steaming bowl of ramen. "Shampoo? How are you feeling?"

"Head hurt," Shampoo replied. "No can remember much. Hibachan say you bring Shampoo home?"

"Yes, I did," Akane nodded.

"Xie-xie." The Chinese girl sipped her broth, then sighed. "You tell Ranma I sorry I make trouble? I not knowing he see murder."

Akane nodded. "Sure, soon as he gets home, I'll tell him."

"Xie-xie," Shampoo said again. She looked down into her bowl. "What happen, Akane?" she asked.

Akane shrugged. "I'm not sure. After I punted you over the wall, you came back, but...you weren't normal. You were, well..." She paused, waving her hands vaguely. "A catgirl," she finished.

"Catgirl?" Shampoo asked, her head tilted.

"You had cat ears and a tail. And your eyes...they weren't normal. They were like a cat's eyes. And...you attacked Ranma. The way you used to, when you were trying to kill him. Except you did it, well...like a cat."

Shampoo stared at her. "You tell truth?"

"Would I make up a story that weird?" Akane asked.

"No, guess not," Shampoo replied. "I...I no remember any of that. I remember strange woman in mask, then...that it."

"A strange woman in a mask..." Akane said thoughtfully.

"You know who she is?"

"No, I haven't seen anyone like that," Akane said. "There's...more, though. This part...really doesn't make sense."

Shampoo watched her patiently.

Akane took a deep breath. "Whatever happened to you, it didn't stop at the catgirl thing. You turned into some kind of cat monster. I didn't see it happen; I was chasing after you and Ranma when it got all foggy all of a sudden, and when the fog cleared, I saw you—well, the cat-thing you turned into—fighting two girls in seifuku." She paused, debating exactly what and how much to tell the Chinese girl. "I think...I think they were the Sailor Senshi."

"Sailor Senshi?" Shampoo asked, head tilted.

"They're an urban legend...at least, I never believed they existed," Akane said sheepishly. "They're...superheroes," she explained. "You hear all kinds of stories of them fighting monsters over in Minato-ku. They first showed up a couple of years ago...if you believe they exist." She paused. "Like I said, I thought they were just some silly story...but yesterday, the two girls I saw fighting you...they couldn't have been anything else **but** Sailor Senshi." She shook her head. "They turned you back to normal, told me to take you home, then disappeared. That's...that's all I know."

"I see," Shampoo said, nodding. "You sure this not all made up?"

"Like I said, why would I make up anything this crazy?"

The Chinese girl sighed. "I want to find masked woman," she said. "Masked woman too too on Shampoo shit list. Masked woman, I kill."

"I'll...I'll pass along your message to Ranma," Akane said. "And I'm sure he'll be glad to know you're back to normal."

"Xie-xie," Shampoo said once again.

"You just get some rest now, okay? I'll call and check up on you tomorrow." With that, Akane left, and Shampoo sat in bed, lost in thought, until long after her ramen got cold.

* * *

Five girls and two cats raced out of the shrine. They screeched to a halt, staring at what they found out on the grounds.

Five massive, heavily-muscled creatures stood outside the shrine waiting for them. They looked like men, except their skin was black as coal and they were far too large to be human. Each wore gold boots and wrestling trunks, had long silver-white hair, drooping mustaches, and slate gray masks perched atop their heads. As one crouched low to stretch his calves, the group could see the Roman numeral "XI" engraved upon the mask.

"Ho-kay," Ranma said, "so now we gotta fight Hulk Hogan."

" _Five_ Hulk Hogans," Makoto said. "This's gotta be a nightmare."

"Sailor Senshi," a male voice called, "I greet you as fellow warriors."

From behind the massive black-skinned wrestlers, a blonde man in leather armor appeared. His blue eyes swept over the five girls, and he nodded cordially. "I am Siegfried," he said. "I am of the Strength. These are my warriors, the Gigas. I wish you well against them." He turned and walked between two of the Gigas. "Begin," he said simply, standing with his arms folded.

The Gigas grunted and advanced on the five girls, their footsteps shaking the ground.

"Time to put that new power of ours to the test," Makoto said grimly, pulling out her henshin card. The others followed suit; Ranma pulled the locket from her shirt.

 **"MERCURY ARCANA POWER..."**

 **"MARS ARCANA POWER..."**

 **"JUPITER ARCANA POWER..."**

 **"VENUS ARCANA POWER..."**

 **"MOON SPIRIT POWER..."**

 _ **"...MAKE-UP!"**_

The four original Senshi now had the Roman numerals from their new henshin cards engraved into the round ornaments adorning the bows upon their chests, and a small pearl-white magatama hung from their chokers.

"The new power...I feel it," Jupiter said, wonderingly. The others nodded agreement. As the Senshi stood ready for battle and the two cats hid, a dark form appeared before the five girls in a blur. "Izanagi!" Mars shouted in surprise.

Izanagi said nothing, readying his halberd. His steely eyes narrowed behind his glasses.

"No," Siegfried said, "you will not intervene. If it's battle you crave, then you will fight me." He unsheathed his sword and beckoned to the party-crasher.

 _"Ikuze,"_ Izanagi replied. He leapt over the heads of the Gigas and landed in front of Siegfried, his blade already clashing with his opponent's.

The Senshi glanced at one another. _"Men,"_ Sailor Venus snorted. "Anou...gomen ne, Ranma-kun..."

Sailor Moon rolled her eyes. "Let's just kick these wrestling freaks' asses an' worry about those other two later."

"Sounds good to me," Sailor Jupiter agreed, cracking her knuckles.

"So, think you got a useful attack this time?" Sailor Venus asked Sailor Mercury.

"What's _THAT_ supposed to mean?" Mercury retorted, frowning.

"Would you **PLEASE** get serious, Venus?" Artemis hissed. "This could be dangerous!"

"Yeah, we kinda figured that out for ourselves," Sailor Moon said, not taking her eyes off the five monster wrestlers.

"Okay, so you want serious?" Venus asked, an irritated bite in her voice. She raised her right hand above her head. **"VENUS LOVE WHIP SWORD!"** In a flash of golden light, a glowing golden sword appeared in her hand, the blade made up of numerous hearts similar to the links of her Love-Me Chain. The heart-shaped links spun independently of each other, humming with power. She leapt high into the air, landing in a crouch before the Gigas on one end of the line. "Let's do this," she said in an iron-hard tone.

Jupiter dashed over to confront the next Gigas in line. "You're mine," she said, making a beckoning motion.

Mars confronted the Gigas at the other end, face blank, eyes sharp. "Watch the damage to the shrine," she said in a loud, cold voice. "I'm getting sick of cleaning up after fights here."

"Let's see what one afternoon of martial arts lessons did for me," Mercury said, lining up beside Mars.

Sailor Moon flipped to land in front of the Gigas in the middle. "Guess that leaves this one for me," she said. Her opponent threw a slow, clumsy punch; she leapt straight up and landed on her hands on the Gigas' outstretched arm. She pushed off, launching herself farther into the air, somersaulted, and slammed both heels into the back of its head, driving it to the ground. She landed on its back, standing on one hand; with her other, she gave the back of her opponent's head the middle finger. "I think we'll make a class outta this, so pay attention," she said conversationally to her new friends.

 _"HAI, SENSEI!"_ the other Senshi chorused.

Luna sweatdropped. " _This_ is what he calls getting serious?"

"I'm **always** serious about th' Art," Sailor Moon said.

"A commendable and noble attitude," Siegfried said from where he was parrying a vicious thrust by Izanagi, less than a meter behind the five Gigas. "Survive this battle, and I shall look forward to testing you myself."

"If Izanagi doesn't smear you all over the ground," Sailor Moon retorted.

"Oh, I'm quite confident this will be a brief duel, and end with my victory," Siegfried said conversationally.

 _"Urusai,"_ Izanagi growled, eyes narrowed. He pressed a vicious attack, and the duel moved in the direction of the shrine steps.

"Wow, he's chatty," Venus said as she dashed sideways along the ground to avoid a kick.

"I kinda like this Siegfried guy," Jupiter said as she grappled with her Gigas. "He's a lot more pleasant than most of our enemies."

"Does he remind you of your senpai?" Venus asked.

"Hmm..." Jupiter hummed contemplatively.

Both girls collapsed to the ground as Sailor Moon hit them over the head with her opponent.

 **"WE'RE. IN. THE. MIDDLE. OF. A. BATTLE. HERE!"** Sailor Moon shouted. _"Sheesh!"_

Mercury and Mars stared, wide-eyed. "Wow," Mercury said softly.

"S-sorry, Ranma-kun," Jupiter said, twitching.

"We'll behave!" Venus squeaked.

The downed Gigas got up and attempted to clothesline Sailor Moon. She leapt straight up, legs tucked beneath her, and landed lightly on his outstretched arm. **"MOON TIARA...CHAIN REACTION!"** She removed her tiara and threw it; the golden disc left a trail of glowing crescent moons in its wake as it arced wide around the Gigas' head and came back around. The crescent chain wrapped itself around the Gigas' neck, and the tiara's momentum continued, striking the Gigas in the head several times before finally returning to Sailor Moon. She replaced it on her brow, then raced up the Gigas' arm and kicked him hard in the head; the repeated blows sent him crashing to the ground. She landed gracefully on his face, then flipped to stand on her hands, scissoring his neck with her legs. With a "hup!" she lifted the stunned Gigas by the neck and began repeatedly slamming him into the ground.

The other Senshi stared at her. "Holy **CRAP** ," Jupiter said.

"How is he even DOING THAT?!" Venus exclaimed.

"I've never seen _anything_ like that before," Mars breathed.

"I knew Ranma-kun was strong, but..." Mercury said.

"Stop gawking at Sailor Moon and fight those other guys!" Artemis called.

"RIGHT!" the others chorused, returning their attention to their opponents.

"...he _is_ pretty strong, though," Artemis admitted to Luna in a whisper.

Luna's eyes were wider than her face, and her ears were flat against her head. "That's the understatement of the millennium," she replied.

 **"SAILOR V KICK!"** Venus leapt into the air, angling in for a flying kick at her opponent's head. He swatted her to the ground with a vicious backhand; she caught herself with her free hand, swung around, pushed off from the ground, and launched herself at the Gigas' midsection, her sword readied for a thrust to her opponent's abdomen. The tip of her sword met jet-black skin and slid sideways, not impaling the Gigas as she had intended, but leaving a shallow gash along his torso. He bellowed in rage and grabbed her by the hair, slamming her to the ground hard. She groaned as she landed; he raised a booted foot to stomp on her...

 _ **"VENUS!"**_ Jupiter cried.

The Gigas' stomp was thwarted as Sailor Moon threw her own opponent at him, knocking him off balance. Sailor Moon landed beside the downed Senshi and helped her up. "You okay?" she asked.

"No, I'm pissed off," Venus replied, stomping toward the fallen Gigas, fury blazing in her bright blue eyes. " _HEY YOU!_ I'm a beautiful love goddess, not a cockroach!" She leaned down and pressed her index finger directly between the Gigas' eyes.

 **"CRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAM CRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENTBEAMCRESCENT _BEAM!_ "**

The other Senshi stared.

What was left of the Gigas' head wasn't pretty; mercifully, it dissolved into smoke and shadow just seconds later.

Venus stood over a narrow, smoking hole in the ground, breathing heavily, bow in her hair askew. "So there," she huffed.

 _"Scary,"_ Sailor Moon muttered, her pigtail standing on end and her eyes twitching.

Artemis hid his face behind his paws. "Is it too late to pretend I don't know her?"

 _"Hitotsu,"_ Izanagi grunted as he took advantage of an overextended thrust to sweep Siegfried's legs; the blonde swordsman barely rolled out of the way of a vicious downward stab.

Meanwhile, Jupiter was still grappling with her own opponent, and straining not to give ground. "Nnnngh...I always wanted to...give puroresu a try..." she grunted.

A booted foot slammed into her chest, sending her flying; she crashed into the front wall of the shrine. She pulled herself out of the crater with a growl. **"THUNDER REIGN!"** she bellowed as she charged. A hammer made of crackling electricity formed in her hands; she let out an enraged roar as she smashed it into the Gigas, who slid backwards several meters, hair and mustache standing on end as electricity surged across his body. Wasting no time, Jupiter followed up with a vicious upswing, smashing the thunder hammer into the monster's jaw and knocking him into the air.

As the electric hammer dissipated, Jupiter followed the arc of her opponent's flight, eyes narrowed. The small lightning rod on her tiara extended. **"SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!"**

Lightning struck Jupiter's tiara with a booming crash of thunder. A dragon-shaped mass of lightning erupted from her hands, twisting and writhing as it soared through the air towards the descending Gigas. The dragon's jaws opened, and it enveloped the shadow wrestler, who roared in agony as he exploded into shadowy vapor. "Yosha'!" Jupiter exclaimed, pumping a fist.

 _"Futatsu,"_ Izanagi commented, sparing the battle behind him a momentary glance.

Siegfried's blade bit into his shoulder. "Pay attention," Siegfried admonished.

 _"Kisama...!"_

Mercury was not having an easy time with her opponent. She was on the run, bleeding slightly from a wound just below her right ear. She wobbled on her feet as she ran. She raced vertically up the trunk of a tree, backflipped off, and planted the heels of both boots in the face of her Gigas; however, she wasn't able to land steadily, and flailed around before crashing on her rear with a yelp.

 _ **"AMI-CHAN!"**_ Venus and Mars cried. Venus rushed in and blocked a blow from the Gigas which likely would have killed Mercury.

The blue-haired Senshi frowned. "I'm _really_ tired of being the weakest one of us!" She brought her hands together, eyes cold as ice. **"MERCURY AQUA VALKYRIE!"**

A spear made of clear spring water formed in Mercury's hands, its point positioned just beneath the Gigas' groin.

"Hup!" Sailor Moon grunted, jumpkicking the Gigas from behind. It staggered forward, and roared in agony as it was impaled through a VERY tender area on Mercury's spear.

Artemis cringed.

Mars stared at Sailor Moon, face green. "You...ARE a guy, right?"

"Course I am," Sailor Moon replied.

"Then...how could you just... _THAT?!_ "

Sailor Moon shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?" With that, she returned to battling her own Gigas, while Mercury beheaded hers with the aqua spear.

 _"Mittsu,"_ Izanagi said with a smirk as he locked weapons with Siegfried.

"Believe it or not, I _can_ count," the blonde man replied, kicking out of the lock and shifting his stance.

"Anou sa..." Jupiter wondered, "If Ranma-kun's the best fighter here, why's his still alive? I mean, three of ours are finished..."

"Because he's playing with his," Mercury replied, dissipating her weapon with a splash. "I saw enough of him and Akane-chan playing tag at the dojo yesterday to tell when he isn't serious."

"Hey, if I finished it off in one hit, it'd make you girls look bad," Sailor Moon said.

Just then, her foe punched her in the back of the head, plowing her face-first into the ground.

She stood up, scowling as she wiped dust from her face with the back of her gloved hand. "Okay, playtime's over," she snarled. She grabbed the Gigas by the ankles, leapt high into the air, and drove him head-first into the ground with enough force to knock everyone off their feet. Then, she ducked low and delivered a savage chop to the Gigas' neck, which snapped. The monster dissolved, and Sailor Moon stood, stretching. "Hmm, looks like just one left. Rei, you got this?"

 **"BURNING MANDALA!"** Mars cried by way of reply, throwing her arms wide. Rings of whirling flames engulfed the final Gigas, which roared in pain. He brought his hands together in a mighty clap; the air pressure extinguished most of the flames, but it was clear the Gigas had taken quite a bit of damage.

Mars produced a double handful of ofuda. " _Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen_... **AKURYOU TAISAN!** " The ofuda burst into flame as she threw them; they stuck to the Gigas' torso, spreading bands of fire around his body. He thrashed wildly, straining uselessly against the flaming bonds.

"Finish it off!" Mercury said.

Mars leapt high into the air, spreading her arms wide. A fiery aura surrounded her, taking on the shape of a massive predatory bird. A piercing shriek rent the air, which shimmered with the searing heat as she dove headfirst toward the bound Gigas.

 **"DYNAMIC PHOENIX!"**

Mars herself abruptly angled sideways just before impact, tucking into a somersault and rolling clear of the tremendous pillar of flames which engulfed the Gigas as the fiery aura struck. The shadow wrestler let out one final roar before he was completely consumed; a double handful of ashes scattered on the ground were all that remained.

"Impressive. Well met, Sailor Senshi," Siegfried nodded, saluting the five girls with his sword. "And you as well...Izanagi, was it?" he asked his opponent, saluting him as well. "This battle is yours. I look forward to our next." A swirl of leaves enveloped him; when they scattered once again, he had disappeared.

 _"Teme...!"_ Izanagi spat. He spun to face the Senshi. _"Mata zo,"_ he said brusquely, leaping over the torii and disappearing.

The Senshi looked around at the devastation wrought by the battle.

Mars dropped to the ground. _"Mou...!"_ she exclaimed in frustration.

Sailor Moon sighed. "Looks like we gotta clean this mess up...AGAIN."

* * *

Siegfried reappeared in the audience chamber.

"You failed?" Thanatos asked in a bored tone.

"They bested five of my warriors," Siegfried said simply. "They are worthy adversaries. I look forward to facing them again." Without waiting for a reply, he stepped into the black mists and vanished.

"Idiot," Alice spat derisively.

"Siegfried's decision to battle the Sailor Senshi was not entirely pointless," Isis said reluctantly and without preamble as she appeared in the middle of the room.

Thanatos raised an eyebrow, cheek resting on a gloved fist. When he said nothing, Isis continued. "The Sailor Senshi have developed new powers. Their acceptance of Saotome Ranma as their new leader has strengthened them."

"Then Saotome Ranma must be eliminated as quickly as possible," Thanatos said.

Isis looked away. "My Lord...I regret to say that may be a difficult prospect."

"Oh?" Thanatos asked. "He is a mere human..."

"He is no mere human," Isis replied. "I've been studying him. I now understand why Orpheus failed so miserably. He simply had no clue what he was dealing with."

"But you do."

"I'm beginning to." Isis cast her head down. "My deepest apologies, Lord Thanatos, but...I am not entirely certain I will succeed in eliminating him either."

"I expect you to **try** ," Thanatos replied simply.

Isis bowed. "Of course, my Lord." She retreated into her mirror and disappeared.

"I _do_ believe she seems rather frightened, Father," Alice said, amusement in her light tone.

"She does at that. I look forward to seeing how she meets her death..."

* * *

Thick, cold white mist swirled, frosting the surface of a pink mirror which disgorged Isis. She stalked briskly toward an ancient, elaborate gate standing in the middle of nothingness. She lovingly picked up a long, ornate wrought metal staff which rested against one of the pillars, inspecting the blood-red jewel inset into its heart-shaped headpiece.

"I truly wished to keep you alive longer," she said conversationally to a crumpled form, bound tightly with black iron chains, which lay amid the mists. "I have enjoyed our time together..." She savagely struck her audience in the ribs with the head of the staff, eliciting a cry of pain. She crouched down low, inspecting the pathetic heap. "But I simply no longer have the... _time_..." She allowed herself an ironic chuckle.

"Even...without the Princess..." the woman in the mists rasped weakly, "...they'll still destroy you. You...you can't..."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure of that," Isis replied lightly. Laying the staff on the ground, she reached up and removed her mask. As it fell away, it revealed not a face, but a pulsating mass of purple and black flesh, crisscrossed with throbbing green veins. A long, jagged gash ripped open in the center of this, revealing two rows of crooked, needle-sharp gray teeth. A long, slimy black tongue lolled out as the monstrosity with the body of a beautiful woman lifted her bound victim, bringing her closer to that horrible maw...

Ten minutes later, a statuesque woman with well-tanned skin, garnet eyes, and long, luxuriant dark green hair picked up the ornate, key-shaped staff lying in the mists, stepped into the pink mirror floating in the midst of nothingness, and vanished.

Lying next to the Gate of Eternity, lifeless and still, was a corpse that could only be identified by the dirty, ragged, blood-stained seifuku it wore. A sightless skull, smeared with blood and ragged chunks of flesh, stared into nothingness.

Sailor Pluto's face and hair were completely gone.

* * *

 _Ranma 1/2 is the intellectual property of Takahashi Rumiko. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon is the intellectual property of Takeuchi Naoko. Shin Megami Tensei is the intellectual property of Atlus. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged._


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